KNOXVILLE PUBLIC SAFETY COLLABORATIVE (TN)

Program Description
In 1996, the Knoxville Police Department and the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parolees met to discuss ways in which they could more effectively deal with returning prisoners and repeat offenders in the area. The Police Department and Board of Parolees wanted to enhance their coordination and collaboration capabilities with one another and with human service providers in the area.

The Public Safety Collaborative officially began in 1997 with funding from the Department of Justice's COPS Office and Byrne Grant funds. The Public Safety Collaborative strives to provide comprehensive services from a variety of agencies and partners. The Collaborative is premised on the idea that connections to mental health, alcohol and drug treatment, vocational, or education services can greatly increase the probability of released prisoners remaining in the community and out of prison. Comprehensive case plans are developed for prisoners right before they are released in order to make sure that newly released individuals receive the necessary services. Case managers work closely with probation and parole officers to ensure that individuals' needs are being met. In order to maintain collaboration efforts, community correctional officers, social service providers, and police from over 25 agencies work together in formulating case management plans for former offenders who are at risk of reoffending in Knoxville. Information is shared among agencies to observe the progress of the former offenders, and joint site visits are conducted.

Program Goals
The primary goal of the Knoxville Public Safety Collaborative is to reduce recidivism among high-risk individuals. Additional goals include enhancing working relationships on a daily basis, sharing information,organizing information and resources, developing a comprehensive case management process for former offenders, using sanctions for former offenders, and developing plans to expand the collaborative.

Networking, Partnering, & Collaboration
The Knoxville Public Safety Collaborative emphasizes partnership and teamwork. As discussed above, partners include a variety of government agencies and local service providers.

Outcomes
The University of Tennessee, School of Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) conducted an evaluation of the Knoxville Public Safety Collaborative. The purpose of the evaluation was to summarize program data collected from parole officers' monthly reports from September 1, 1998 to July 31, 2000. This data was then compared to a 1996/1997 group of parolees released in Knoxville who would have met the program's criteria. A key outcome was that participants in the program had their parole revoked 38 percent less often than non-participants. Additionally, participants were less likely to be reincarcerated than the comparison group.

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