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Anderson County Helped By ETHRA With Alternative Jail Program
Overcrowded jails are a financial burden to county governments all across the State.  Anderson County officials have turned to an old idea in hopes of saving tax payers money and ridding the streets of crime.

Since 2006, the county's criminal court has seen an 83% increase in case load and in turn this puts more prisoners into an already overcrowded jail.  In fact, jail was the only choice available to punish offenders.

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White and Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge have worked with East Tennessee Human Resource Agency and other State officials to reactivate a program that gives non-violent offenders an alternative to jail time.  Former county officials had abandoned the program in the mid 1990s even though it was proven effective and used in other communities all across East Tennessee.

Jailing an inmate costs Anderson County government $55 per day or more than $20,000 a year.   ETHRA's Community Corrections Program will have an immediate impact to reduce county costs and allow offenders to be supervised for about $5 a day.  

Many problems can be avoided with a program that gives non-violent offenders an alternative to jail time.  According to Judge Elledge, "If an offender sits in jail they may get detox for 30 days but that does not mean they have received all the treatment they should have to realize it's ongoing.  You have to set up a life altering course."  

Community Corrections will offer participants alcohol and drug education classes and therapy.  At the same time, participants are expected to work, support their families, pay their court costs and remain drug free.  "They are being supervised and they are becoming productive members of society."

ETHRA received $130,000 to expand Community Corrections into Anderson County.  The funding from Tennessee Probation and Parole will allow for two new officers to provide supervision for approximately 60 offenders.  

Sheriff White says having Community Corrections restored is a big relief.  "It will help us even if we can just get relief from two or three inmates."

Gordon Acuff, ETHRA Executive Director, said "Community Corrections is yet another way county governments are served by the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency.  It is our pleasure to work collectively with law enforcement, judicial members and legislative representatives to identify the funds and restore this program for Anderson County."

Submitted by ETHRA