TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 1, 2025

Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, and Ed Jackson, R-Jackson, are asking the Tennessee Department of Correction to release part of a $14 million fund balance to support the state’s Community Corrections program, which suffered a 15% funding cut this year, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Briggs sent a formal letter detailing the impact the budget cut had on the program and requested the department to release 10% of a $14 million “carry forward” fund balance for Community Corrections to enable 13 programs to operate. Commissioner Frank Strada has declined to release the requested funds, citing budgetary and strategic constraints. The budget reduction has forced layoffs and service cuts in agencies like the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency, which had served 750 people across 19 counties before the state imposed new program requirements in 2022. Jackson said additional funding requests will continue in 2026, but warned rural programs could face further reductions in the meantime.