Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry

Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry (TPOM) started in 1963 as a two-person ministry in one jail and now engages more than 500 volunteers to serve inmates in eleven of the fourteen state prisons and in jails in 25 counties, as well as at the reentry center. TPOM reunites the returning citizen with God, family, and the community. This work is accomplished through life-skill curriculum taught in correctional facilities and at the reentry center upon an inmate’s release. TPOM provides holistic services that address the spiritual, emotional, social, and economic needs of those impacted by incarceration. The funds requested in the application will support personnel directly involved in facilitating mental health services to returning citizens reentering the community following release from incarceration. 45 of 65 (70%) program participants who receive counseling services will show improvement in at least 2 functioning domains of the Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment upon exit from the program. Functioning domains include resiliency, stress management, sleep patterns, and optimism/outlook. 52 of 65 (80%) program participants who graduate from the re-entry program will not be re-incarcerated at the one-year milestone following release from prison.