TDOC Offenders Renovate International Storytelling Center

JONESBOROUGH – Offenders from the Carter County Work Camp, an annex of the Northeast Correctional Complex, helped give the International Storytelling Center (ISC) in Jonesborough a much needed facelift just in time for the ISC’s 2017 season.  Over the past six weeks, the offenders on one of NECX’s Community Service Work Crews completed over $20,000 worth of work, including:

• Replaced carpet in the parlor and library with hardwood
• The entire second floor received fresh paint
• Repaired water damage to deck, fixed leaks
• Removed and replaced the second floor outside deck
• Repaired and refurbished exterior doors
• Sanded and stained plaza benches
• Repaired brick and added concrete seal to courtyard brick columns

“Our Community Service Work Crews are mutually beneficial to all parties involved,” NECX Warden Randy Lee said.  “We’re able to provide quality service to East Tennessee communities, at a great cost savings to them, while at the same time providing our offenders with marketable job skills and real world experience.  The town of Jonesborough has always been supportive of NECX and its offender programs, and we’re proud to serve its communities.”

“We’re extremely appreciative of the efforts of everyone involved with this project,” says Kiran Singh Sirah, President of the ISC.  “The offenders from the Northeast Correctional Complex have helped to make our center even greater and we are sure this is going to be appreciated by all who use the center for years to come.  The offenders were pleasant to work with and have done an amazing job!”

This is not the first project NECX offenders have completed in Tennessee’s oldest town.  It is actually one of many, including the McKinney Center, the Jonesborough Senior Center, and the Jonesborough Farmers Market.