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.

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.

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:

• Consistent
• Compassionate
• Willing to listen
• Committed to healthy boundaries
• A current Tennessee resident
• At least 25 years old
• Able to show proof of residency within 60 miles of assigned prison facility
• Have reliable transportation
• Complete background checks and required VMI Mentor training
• Agree to participate in duration of program
• Not have pending criminal charges
• 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.

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.

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.

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.