One Relationship Can Change A Future
When reentry fails, communities feel it. When reentry succeeds, everyone benefits. Safer neighborhoods. Stronger families. Reduced recidivism. Restored dignity. The Volunteer Mentorship Initiative is built on the belief that Tennessee’s greatest asset is its people. Government alone cannot solve our deepest challenges. Together, we can.
Why Does Mentorship Matter?
At any given time, nearly 20,000 men and women are incarcerated in Tennessee state prisons. Each year, more than 6,000 return home. Release is certain. Successful reentry is not. Without support, many returning citizens face isolation, unemployment, addiction relapse, unstable housing, and broken relationships. The consequences ripple into families and communities across our state. But research and lived experience point to one powerful truth:Consistent relationships change outcomes.
What Does A Mentor Do?
VMI mentors:
• Build trust through regular, consistent contact
• Encourage personal responsibility and goal-setting
• Help navigate employment, housing, and community connections
• Offer accountability and support
• Reflect hope and stability during transition
Mentors are trained, supported, and connected through local Implementation Partners who recruit, equip, and guide volunteers inside each of Tennessee’s fourteen state prisons. You are never alone in the process.
Who Can Become A Mentor?
VMI mentors come from all backgrounds and beliefs. Students, business leaders, retirees, working professionals, and men and women with lived experience across Tennessee are stepping forward.You do not need to be a counselor or social worker.
You need to be:
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Consistent
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Compassionate
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Willing to listen
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Committed to healthy boundaries
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A current Tennessee resident
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At least 25 years old
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Able to show proof of residency within 60 miles of assigned prison facility
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Have reliable transportation
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Complete background checks and required VMI Mentor training
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Agree to participate in duration of program
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Not have pending criminal charges
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If previously incarcerated, must not have served sentence at the same facility as mentoring
If you can commit to showing up, you can make a difference.
Who Is Behind the Volunteer Mentorship Initiative?
The Volunteer Mentorship Initiative (VMI) is a statewide effort -- led by the Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative in partnership with the TN Department of Correction -- to restore hope and change lives by connecting Tennesseans who are incarcerated with trained volunteer mentors.
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BECOME A MENTOR TODAY
How VMI Works
Become An Implementation Partner
The Volunteer Mentorship Initiative is expanding statewide.
The Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative is seeking qualified Implementation Partners to recruit, train, and manage volunteer mentors within Tennessee’s fourteen state prisons.
VMI is a relationship-centered reentry strategy designed to ensure that every returning citizen who desires a mentor has access to one.
Implementation Partners are the backbone of this effort.
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The Justice Impacted Advisory Council
The Volunteer Mentorship Initiative is guided by a Justice Impacted Advisory Council made up of men and women from across Tennessee who have personally experienced incarceration and successful reentry.
These are not symbolic advisors. They are leaders.
Council members include previously incarcerated Tennesseans who now serve as business owners, nonprofit leaders, faith leaders, workforce mentors, and trusted voices within their communities. Many are recognized partners in state leadership efforts around reentry, workforce development, public safety, and community restoration.
Their lived experience shapes VMI at every level.
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JIAC Members
- Allen Burnette
- Anthony Charles
- Barry Daniel (Video)
- Bradley Willis (Video)
- Christopher Smith (Video)
- DeAndre Brown (Video)
- Ginger Wells Smith (Video)
- Leon Jones
- Lindsay Holloway (Video)
- Mary McCrary (Video)
- Monica Tucker (Video)
- O'Neil Greene (Video)
- Robert Sherrill (Video)
- Shawn Baker (Video)
- Trey Carter (Video)
- Trina Frierson (Video)
- Will Taylor (Video)
Tennessee State Facility Partners
Debra K. Johnson
Rehabilitation Center
(Women)
3881 Stewarts Lane
Nashville, Tennessee 37243
Lois M. DeBerry
Special Needs Facility
(Men)
7575 Cockrill Bend Blvd.
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
Wilder Youth
Development Center
(Male Youth, Ages 14-18)
13870 Highway 59
Somerville, Tennessee 38068
Led by the TN Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative in Partnership With the TN Department of Correction
The Governor’s Volunteer Mentorship Initiative (VMI) creates a support system that identifies and addresses gaps and obstacles returning citizens face during reentry by matching external Mentors with incarcerated Mentees to provide guidance, support, and resource direction throughout the reentry process.
The joint-initiative with the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) is focused on creating sustainable models for organizations and individuals to impact reentry through impactful Mentoring.