Court tileA task force formed by Gov. Bill Haslam meets Thursday in Nashville to examine Tennessee's sentencing structure and examine ways to reduce the state's high recidivism rate.
It's the group's third meeting since being formed by Haslam last year in an overall effort to reduce crime and improve public safety.
The Task Force will develop recommendations to give to the Governor's Public Safety Subcabinet by June. The subcabinet has partnered with the New York-based Vera Institute of Justice, which is helping to review sentencing and correction policies and practices in Tennessee.
Tennessee's current sentencing structure has been in place for more than 20 years, and the state's recidivism rate is averaging around 44 to 45 percent. That's the number of people returning to prison within three years of being released.