Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) on Monday announced hearings on reforming the criminal justice system in Tennessee.
"We must keep the public safe and hold offenders accountable in a way that controls spending on corrections," said Senator Kelsey. "Tennessee has not comprehensively evaluated the criminal justice system in over 20 years. We can learn from other states that have successfully used data to reduce costs and increase safety."
Senator Kelsey is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold hearings on criminal justice reform during its annual study committee Sept. 15 and 16 in Nashville. The three hearings will be titled: 1) How we got where we are in Tennessee, 2) What other states have done, and 3) Suggested changes for Tennessee. Expert witnesses and Tennessee participants will discuss such topics as truth in sentencing, pretrial release, reentry programs, probation and parole reform, community-based corrections, and reduction in recidivism rates.
Senator Kelsey represents Cordova, East Memphis, and Germantown. He is Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee