State Reform Profile
Tennessee
Tennessee's incarceration has grown significantly. SB 2563 expanded diversion as a modest step forward.
Key Statistics
Incarceration by Race
Incarceration rate per 100,000 residents. Racial estimates based on BJS/Sentencing Project methodology.
Recidivism Rate
Percent of people reincarcerated within 3 years of release. Source: BJS recidivism data series.
Cost vs. Alternatives
Active & Passed Reforms
3 initiativesSB 2563 – Diversion ExpansionView full details →
Expanded eligibility for judicial diversion programs.
TN Promise ReentryView full details →
Education-based reentry connecting people to community college.
Drug Court Enhancement ActView full details →
Expanded drug court funding and eligibility criteria.
Data Sources & Methodology
Reform data sourced from state legislative records, BJS Criminal Justice Statistics, the Vera Institute Incarceration Trends dataset, and The Sentencing Project. AltReform prediction scores (0,100) are generated by our ML model trained on 20+ years of state-level reform outcomes, weighting recidivism reduction, racial equity impact, cost-effectiveness, and political feasibility. Statistics are the most recent available (2021,2024).
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