The issue of prison reform always has been personal for Gov. Bill Lee.
Years ago, he worked with a group called Men of Valor, which ministered to men in prison, and he became convinced of the importance of reforming them so they don’t re-offend when they’re released from prison.
Since becoming Tennessee governor in 2019, he has pushed through various reform measures, including the Reentry Success Act of 2021. And it is that law he is citing as one of the reasons he vetoed House Bill 527/Senate Bill 455, which would give the Board of Parole more authority over the early release of offenders, depending on their crime.
We encourage any programs that work toward reducing recidivism, and have great respect for Lee’s past passion for working for prisoners, but we appreciate the flexibility the bill gives the parole board. It can consider the victims in additional serious crimes, but its members are not mandated to keep offenders from early release. The bill also seems unlikely to prevent offenders from being involved in the reforms the governor pushed.
The Reentry Success Act, for example, compensates counties which provide evidence-based programming for inmates in county jails. Such programs, according to research, reduce the rate of recidivism and increase the rate of success following release.