Greene County Correctional Career Pathways Program

Greene County criminal justice leaders developed the Correctional Career Pathways (CCP) pilot program in 2015 as they explored ways to provide rehabilitative and career development program to county inmates. Program participants can improve basic skills, earn their high school equivalency (HSE) diploma, and participate in sponsored employment. The program removes barriers to successful reentry in society and the workforce.

The county initially partnered with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) Division of Adult Education and used grant funding to develop curriculum, purchase equipment, and train educators. In 2016, Greene County utilized the TNECD ThreeStar program to station a modular building at the Greene County Workhouse, expanding CCP services and providing space for classrooms and a computer lab.

Because of the Greene County program’s success, The Tennessee Institute of Public Health (TNIPH) at East Tennessee University received funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in 2018-2019 to replicate the CCP model in rural and distressed communities within the 52-county ARC footprint. Two of the three counties initially selected, Grundy and Scott, successfully implemented local CCP programs. Between 2021-2022, Roane and Scott Counties received additional ARC funding to implement modified CCP programs. TNIPH plans to continue partnering with the ARC to develop CCP programs in other rural communities and assist existing programs in recovering from challenges encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding Sources