“We’re not going to have a fence or gates or things like that,” Smith said. “These people are already our neighbors. And so I hope that it feels like home to them and it gives them a comfortable transition.”
Smith, who started the criminal justice reform group Fourth Purpose Foundation, said a safe and supportive housing situation is also a way to reduce the state’s recidivism rate. The Tennessee Criminal Justice Investment Task Force reports that 47% of individuals released from custody for felony sentences are arrested again within three years. Men of Valor reports the recidivism rate at its facility is less than 10%.