Lacresha Logan
Recidivism. Difficult word to spell. Even harder to pronounce. It’s meaning is simple. Oxford Dictionary’s definition is: “Noun … the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.” And reoffend they do. But Our Town Hero today is working hard to impact this issue – Lacresha Logan – and change lives in the process.
A Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) study from 2021 found that 66% of people released from prison in 2008 were re-arrested within three years, and 82% were re-arrested within 10 years. This high rate indicates that the current criminal justice system faces challenges in effectively rehabilitating offenders.
Reoffending happens everywhere. But the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) is working hard to break that cycle with Monday-Friday classes using a variety of resources. Sheriff Russell Barker’s recidivism guru is Deputy Logan, the director of the ACSO Anderson County YES – Alternatives to Incarceration (Tier II) program.
ACSO is the first in Tennessee to implement this new state program to lower its recidivism rate of 45%. Logan describes it as “an alternative to incarceration program” with educational and vocational components. And Logan, 36, and the mother of two, wears many hats at work – administrator, teacher, counselor, marketing and public relations, friend and social worker.
Her days are always busy. “I love being a service to vulnerable populations and it requires a lot of patience and persistence,” she explains. “I’ve really taken a liking to this. These inmates are one situation from being behind bars again. You have to see the need and not be afraid to step in and help them.”
And there are plenty at ACSO who need her expertise and upbeat, positive nature. This past week the jail held 324 men and 56 women. “We’re seeing a big increase of women being arrested and it’s mostly for drug-related cases. One way or the other these days drugs are involved in pretty much every case and arrest,” she said.
This past Thursday two graduated from the program – Dakota Gifford and Atosha Fritz – both earning their General Educational Development (GED) certificates.
Logan is one of the classroom instructors and has two others who work at ACSO. She also recruits outside experts to help and today manages a cadre of 60 volunteers teaching a variety of classes. Here’s a partial list of the classes: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Relapse Prevention, Domestic Violence, PTSD Substance Abuse, Interactive Journaling and Writing, Critical Thinking, Parenting and Anger Management, Adult Education, Character Development, Trauma Focused programs, and Religious Studies.
“We also collaborate with TCAT (Tennessee College of Applied Technology) to provide vocational trainings such as welding and OSHA10, TDOC/Origin to offer educational tablets, Ridgeview Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Oak Ridge, ETHRA Workforce Development, and previous OSHA10 training with Pellissippi State,” she said.
In the past three years not one person who graduated from the Adult Education program has reoffended – and we had 16 graduates last year, she reports. “These folks have basically never started and completed anything but they have now,” Logan says.
“This is the fun part of the job, knowing you’re making a difference. It’s like I’m planting seeds and watching them grow and helping give purpose to their lives. It’s having passion for them. It gives our inmates second chances and helps them break the chains of trauma.”
Logan joined the ACSO almost five years ago. She’s a native of Hinesville, Georgia, near Fort Stewart and was a self-described “Army brat.” Her father was U.S. Army and she has two brothers, one a Marine and the other in the Air Force. After moving to Knoxville in 2012, she became a paralegal for a law firm in Knox County, then transitioned to working misdemeanor probation for about five years in Anderson County. That led to her current position as director of programs at the Anderson County Detention Facility in 2021.
Her work is special. In 2023 Sheriff Barker presented her with a pair of prestigious honors – the special “Sheriff’s Award” and Deputy of the Year. She earned an undergraduate degree in human services from East Tennessee State University with a minor in family studies. Logan is now working toward a master’s in social work at ETSU. She also has an associate degree in paralegal studies.
ACSO is one of only two counties statewide using the program. “It really attacks the thinking portion of this, that my thoughts are leading to my actions. We really emphasize getting them to think before they act. Think about the negative outcomes of reoffending. There are other paths open to you. We are working hard for them to cut back on coming back.”
Logan says all classes are held in-house and are open to inmates who have committed anything from misdemeanor crimes to felony murders. Sheriff Barker said he believes his team is changing the game for other correction centers. “We are trendsetters, in my opinion,” he said.
Logan says her future is constructed around the continued development of this recidivism initiative. “The detention facility’s values along with my own personal values is to have our agency and [the] justice [system] involved with our individuals to help them leave better off than when they came,” she said. “I feel really good about what we are doing. Yes, it’s a lot of work but everything we do is worth it for our inmates.”
Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia. If you have someone you think we should consider featuring, please email him at the link with his name or text him at 865-659-3562.
Our Town Hero is sponsored by Aubrey’s Restaurants.
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