Recidivism is not a subject associated with good news.  Recidivism generally refers to an offender’s participation in criminal endeavors subsequent to their release from prison and is usually the basis that results in their return to incarceration.  More than 1800 offenders each day or nearly 700,000 each year are released from prison.  TN Department of Correction Studies show that by the 3^rd year of an offender’s release almost 75% have returned to incarceration.  Our goal is to reduce recidivism rates by implementing programs and services in our jails and prisons to improve reentry education and employment outcomes by providing preemployment life-skills class/transitional education and support mentors, job coaching, job placement and job retention services to program participants.  By providing these intervention programs TN will experience positive outcomes for released offenders resulting in higher rates of employment, improved readiness for work, improved stability in critical period after release due to employment and income, reduced recidivism and violation of supervision conditions.

2.08 million or 8.33% of 12- to 17-year-olds nationwide report using drugs in the last month. Among them, 83.88% report using marijuana in the last month. 591,000 teenagers aged 12- to 17-years-old used an illicit drug other than marijuana in the last month (https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/). In 2021, 46.3 million people aged 12 or older in the US—about 16.5% of the nation's population—met the applicable DSM-5 criteria for having a substance use disorder. Of those, 94% did not receive any treatment (https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com ).  TCaware seeks to keep families together by providing education regarding high-risk drug and alcohol choices for teens and their caregivers.  Our substance abuse curriculum helps individuals define what is important to them (family, good health, friends etc....), leading them through a journey that involves new ways of thinking about high- risk activities that lead to the likelihood of problems.  By helping communities divert justice-involved parents/primary caregivers & teens from incarceration/re-entry due to substance abuse, our program promotes the unification of families, prevents children from entering the foster care and/or juvenile justice systems, and allow parents or primary caregivers involved with the justice system to remain united with their children to improve family outcomes.