News & Information
left to right: TCI's Executive Director William Wall, Chief Counsel Brian Grisham, Programs and Operations Manager William "RK" Kane, Deputy Director Bob Bass, Project Manager Jason J. Smith
Tennessee Corrections Institute is excited to welcome Mr. Brian Grisham as our new part-time Chief Counsel!
Mr. Grisham has an extensive background in law enforcement having retired from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy where he was the Director. Brian was previously the Executive Secretary of the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission for over a decade, and he is a graduate of the Tennessee Government Leadership Institute, FBI National Law Institute, appointed to the Governor’s Subcabinet for Public Safety, and much more. Brian has experience at TCI as well having been its Interim Executive Director at one time. Brian earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 1989, and he will be providing legal guidance to TCI’s Board of Control and Executive Director.
We are exceptionally pleased to have Brian onboard!
Tennessee Corrections Institute is seeking a partner to help us with studying Correctional Officer Mental Wellness. TCI needs a partner that is experienced in performing qualitative studies and data analysis, as well as a partner who can create a toolkit for mental wellness best practices and facilitate peer support training/programming for corrections officers. TCI will issue a grant later this summer in collaboration with the Central Procurement Office when the right partner is identified. If you know of any resources that may be interested in participating in this type of project, please give them a head’s up and send them to Request for Proposals (RFP) Opportunities (tn.gov) . The RFI # is 31609-27900.
Questions can be directed to Jason.J.Smith@tn.gov.
TCI is proud to honor Retired Detention Chief Brian Bivens of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Bivens has dedicated nearly 30 years to the Correction’s Profession and is recognized nationally for his expertise in Leadership, correctional operations, and PREA. His dedication and leadership to correctional officer development and inmate programming in the state of Tennessee has and continues to be unquantifiable. Tennessee Corrections Institute is honored to present this award to a great partner. Congratulations Chief Bivens, we look forward to a continued partnership!
Congratulations on the retirement of Chief Tom Rudder, Jail Administrator of Madison County Sheriff's Office, with 34 years of service!
Tennessee Sheriffs and Jail Administrator’s gathered at TCI in Nashville on October 14th and 15th 2021 to discuss correctional officer hiring and retention.
The two-day workshop, covering 9 areas of hiring practices and considerations. The group identified 37 secondary points of concern and 5 key areas for consideration and offered solutions. Participants represented each of the 3 grand divisions of our state.
Attendees listed below.
- Sheriff Karl Jackson Obion County
- Sheriff Russell Barker Anderson County
- Sheriff Tommy Jones Monroe County
- Sheriff Jack Stockton Roane County
- Sheriff Eddie Farris Putnam County
- Curt Vokoun Putnam County
- Sheriff Jeff Box Dyer County
- Tonya Fisher Haywood County
- Frank Rezac Carroll County
- Andrew Howdeshell Blount County
- Jerry Scott Sumner County
- Lee Carswell Sullivan County
- Jeff Bledsoe TSA
- Bob Bass TCI
- William R Kane TCI
- Will Wall TCI
- Shari Scott TCI
TCI Is very pleased to announce the newest addition to our team, Jason J. Smith!
Jason J. Smith is the Project Manager for Tennessee Corrections Institute. Jason specializes in collaborating, coordinating, facilitating, and assisting in the successful planning, execution, and operations of phenomenal projects and programs. Jason graduated from Valdosta State University in 2001 with his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and then moved to Nashville where he has worked with the TN Board of Probation and Parole, the TN Department of Corrections, and the Office of Criminal Justice Programs. His favorite quote is, "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work" (John C. Maxwell), and he strives to ensure customers, stakeholders, and teammates are heard, helped, and satisfied in his quest to make Tennessee State Government the best it can be.
TCI would like to congratulate Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy Director
Brian Grisham on his retirement, having over 40 years of service to the
citizens of Tennessee. Director Grisham once served as the Interim Director of
the Tennessee Corrections Institute during a period of transition which
provided the agency with impeccable guidance as the agency moved into the
future. Your leadership and passion will be greatly missed.
Below are pictures of the National Institute of Corrections' inmate behavior management course recently completed in Rutherford County. Thank you to the National Institute for Corrections, Rutherford County Correctional Work Center and Adult Detention Center for helping TCI provide progressive training to Tennessee's local jails and the jail administration team from Lafourche Parish, Louisiana!
