Chattanooga Reentry Nonprofit Partners With Private Prison Company

Chattanooga: The private Nashville-based prison company CoreCivic is forming a groundbreaking partnership with Brave Effect, a local nonprofit with a mission to support those discharging from prison as they reintegrate into society. The partnership aims to bolster the success rate of formerly incarcerated individuals as they exit prison and reenter community life.

About Brave Effect

Brave Effect was founded by Joe Jenkins, who served prison time for cocaine distribution before deciding to share the skills and strategies he developed for successful reentry with others. He began work on what became Brave Effect while incarcerated and launched the organization upon his release in 2018.

A Personal Touch

Jenkins is said to connect easily with those still in prison, offering personal insights that can elucidate the path forward. “I realized I needed to teach from reality,” he said, acknowledging that the real-world challenges faced by those leaving prison – such as seeking employment, making child support payments, and reuniting with family – require a realistic and individualized approach.

What’s different about Jenkins’s method is its focus on personal goals. “When Joe told me to write down the goals, it made me sit back and think about my life, what I really wanted to be like,” said Lovest Carter, a