The goal of Rutherford County Correctional Work Center is to provide inmates with the opportunity to re-enter society with the skills necessary to lead a law abiding, productive life and to be better prepared to transition back into the community without sacrificing public safety.

Our Mission begins with providing inmates with solid work ethics and programs with the objective of releasing them back into our communities with a clear direction of their future. We accomplish this by providing structured educational, vocational, substance abuse and work release opportunities. Through our sound security practices and classification process, we strive to provide a safe and humane environment for both the offender and staff.

In addition to the multiple programs, inmates at the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center provide many hours of community services to our surrounding Towns, Cities, State and Government Municipalities that is known as our Community Service Work Crew. The Correctional Work Center strives to operate its facility at the most cost effective and efficient way possible. The total monthly savings for the city/county averages around $150,000 by utilizing this inmate labor for community work.

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Rutherford County – TN (09/07/2023) Rutherford County Correctional Work Center Superintendent William Cope announced Wednesday, September 6, 2023, that the Correctional Work Center has attained a new accreditation through the Tennessee Corrections Institute that will help to reduce offender recidivism and increase state funding to the facility.

 “Today the Tennessee Corrections Institute’s Board of Control designated the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center a Tier 1 facility,” said Cope. It is the first time in the history of the agency that the facility has obtained that certification. Cope said, “While we have obtained national accreditation in the past, this is the first time a Tennessee state accreditation has been offered and I am very proud of our staff and residents for being able to achieve this status”.

In April of 2022, TCI announced the new accreditation opportunity to all jails across the state. The accreditation titled “Tier 1” required jails to adopt new policies and procedures or in some cases update existing ones, to improve the rehabilitation and reintegration efforts of the jail’s inmates. These new Tier 1 requirements included inmate programs such as Adult Education, Moral Reconation Therapy, and employment skills. A second accreditation titled “Tier 2” increased those requirements. The programs have proven across the country to reduce offenders from returning to jail. Facilities that obtained these accreditations would then be eligible for an increase in funding from the Tennessee Department of Corrections for state inmates housed in the county facilities.

More information on Tennessee Corrections Institute Tier 1 Accreditation can be found at

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tci/2023%20Tiered%20Accreditation%20Final%20Document.pdf

https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1400/1400-05.20220329.pdf

Photo (L-R) TCI Director of Administration Jason Smith, RCCWC Training Coordinator Sergeant Thad Oclaray,  RCCWC Accreditation Manager Sergeant Chad Duggin, RCCWC Superintendent William Cope, RCCWC Captain Jason Smitty, TCI Executive Director William Wall, TCI Chief Counsel Brian Grisham, TCI Detention Facilities Manager Gwen Hyde