Nashville’s vulnerable populations depend on General Hospital’s holistic care, unique economic model

Niara Savage
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Nashville’s vulnerable populations depend on General Hospital’s holistic care, unique economic model

By NIARA SAVAGE | Nashville Voice

A year ago, Nashville General Hospital at Meharry seemed to have been on the brink of eliminating its inpatient care.

A decision by then-Mayor Megan Barry to shutter the public-funded hospital’s inpatient services was based partially on the fact that only 40 out of 120 bed were being used. The closure would have caused community members who depend on General Hospital’s services to seek care elsewhere.

Dr. Joseph Webb, the CEO of Nashville General Hospital, said that General Hospital’s primary goal is to get patients treated, and back to their regular healthy selves as soon as possible.

The hospital’s chronic care model addresses the needs of people suffering from diseases prevalent in Tennessee, including diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Webb explained that closure of inpatient services at General Hospital would ignite “major fragmentation of care,” among Nashville’s most vulnerable citizens. Those patients who depend on NGH for treatment — and have for years — would be forced to seek care elsewhere across the city, he said.

According to Dr. Webb, the City of Nashville committed itself in its charter to provide healthcare to the community. For 129 years, General Hospital has helped Nashville achieve and maintain this commitment, while training future physicians from the historically-black Meharry Medical College.

Fortunately, Mayor David Briley has publicly endorsed the important role General Hospital plays to combat chronic health problems in one of the nation’s sickest cities and has been supportive of providing the hospital with the subsidies required to keep inpatient services open.

“We treat the whole patient and make them a part of their own care, “ Webb said, explaining that General Hospital plays a vital role in the health and wellness of Nashville’s most vulnerable communities.

Forty-percent of the patients treated at the full-service hospital are uninsured, and cannot pay for the care they recieve. This is where the hospital’s economic model comes in: the cost of care for non-paying patients is covered by those who are able to pay for their care.

This system has been proven successful—over the past four years, General Hospital has improved its financial balance sheet by $26 million.

Webb attributed this significant economic improvement to the hospital’s “efficient operations and streamlined expenses.”

Webb also pointed out that the hospital’s low number of inpatients is no indication of poor quality of services, explaining that “a hospital full of sick patients doesn’t equate to good care.”

For example, the hospital’s Food Pharmacy program demonstrates Webb’s idea of personalized care and treatment. In fact, General Hospital’s Food Pharmacy is a unique, one-of-a-kind system that cannot be found anywhere else across the country.

Through the program, patients are prescribed nutritious foods based on their dietary needs, and according to the diseases they suffer from.

According to Webb, Food Pharmacy recommendations are “prescriptive to our patient populations” and produce “excellent outcomes.”


Travel Diary: The Turks & Caicos Islands

Maya Dee
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Travel Diary: The Turks & Caicos Islands

BY MAYA SMITH | Nashville Voice

The last week, I island-hopped through the Caribbean and discovered the most beautiful island I had ever been on.

The Caribbean consists of many different islands including the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, British Virgin Islands. But there isn’t a single island that can compare to the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Turks and Caicos is a British Settlement that sits fairly north of the Dominican republic and just east of the British Virgin Islands. The Island is less than 100 miles long but full of so much culture and more tourism than one would have expected.

When traveling to Turks & Caicos, there are not many direct flights so for warning you will have a full day of traveling with connecting flights to this small Caribbean island.

When arriving on the island whether day or night, the airport is the size of a small office building and going through customs takes a maximum 30 minutes do to not many patrol officers.

The first night at TCI was a disaster, a huge rain storm crossed through while traveling to our apartment and the power went out most of the night due to weather. I was disappointed because locals had mentioned that it hasn’t rained and weeks but as soon as I arrive, it turns into a monsoon.

The first day on the Island was to die for, clear skies, light breeze, warm weather and the fresh smell of the beach surrounded us. We stayed in the middle of Providenciales, which is the only main city on the Island.

Other than Providenciales, the entire island is separated by neighborhoods. Majority of the neighborhoods held lavish resorts and multimillion dollar homes.

Many of the resorts that sit on this beautiful island are pretty pricey but are all inclusive. The top resorts that I would recommend are:

  • Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort Villas
  • The Palms Turks & Caicos
  • Ocean Club Resorts
  • Seven Stars Resorts and Spa
  • The Shore Club Turks & Caicos
  • Windsong Resort
  • Ganesvoort Turks & Caicos

All resorts offer free transportation around the island as well as transportation to and from the airport.

Fisk University to host ‘The Atlantic’ writer Vann Newkirk II at annual Martin Luther King, Jr. convocation

The Nashville Voice
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Fisk University to host ‘The Atlantic’ writer Vann Newkirk II at annual Martin Luther King, Jr. convocation

By Nashville Voice STAFF

Fisk University has announced that will “The Atlantic” staff writer Van R. Newkirk II will serve as keynote speaker for its Martin Luther King, Jr. convocation, which will be hosted this Thursday, Jan. 17 in the Fisk Memorial Chapel.

The annual convocation, which is free and open to the public, will commemorate the legacy of the late Civil Rights activist.   

Newkirk covers politics and policy for “The Atlantic,” where he focuses on civil rights, environmental justice, and health policy. He is a recent recipient of the American Society of Magazine Editors’ ASME Next award, and a recipient of The Root’s Root 100 recognition in 2017.  

Prior to working at The Atlantic, Newkirk wrote for Daily Kos, where he focused on justice and health issues, focusing on the intersection of policy, race, class, and culture. He also has contributed articles, essays, and photography to sites such as GQ, Gawker, Grantland, and Ebony.

Vann is also the founder of Seven Scribes and a contributing editor. He lives in Hyattsville, Maryland with his wife and son.

Mayor Briley signs ‘Equal Business Opportunity Program’ bill into law

The Nashville Voice
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Mayor Briley signs ‘Equal Business Opportunity Program’ bill into law

By Nashville Voice STAFF

On Friday, Jan. 11, Nashville Mayor David Briley signed into law the city’s first Equal Business Opportunity Program, an initiative designed to increase the number of government contracts awarded to women- and minority-owned businesses within Davidson County.

As Briley signed the law, he was joined by sponsors of the legislation, including Councilmembers Tanaka Vercher, Sharon Hurt, and Scott Davis, as well as members of his cabinet and other Metro government officials.

“Today, I proudly signed into law Nashville’s first Equal Business Opportunity Program, which will help level the playing field for minority and women-owned businesses,” Briley said in a statement while thanking its sponsors. “It’s a historic achievement for our city — and a major step in building prosperity for all residents.”

According to BL2018-1419, the objectives of the Equal Business Opportunity Program include:

  • to promote and encourage full and open competition in all Metropolitan Government procurement and purchasing;
  • to encourage all Metropolitan Government personnel involved in procurement and contracting activities to utilize appropriate purchasing procedures;
  • to prevent the Metropolitan Government from becoming a passive participant in any unlawful discrimination;
  • to spur economic development in the public and private sectors of the local economy; and,
  • to rectify any active or passive participation in such unlawful discrimination.

Briley’s signing of the bill followed the unanimous passing of the legislation during the Jan. 3 Metro Council meeting last week.

“This is a proud moment for this city,” said Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher, the council’s Budget and Finance Committee chairwoman, following the vote. “This is a proud moment for this body. 

“Your vote tonight conveys a strong message to the city and to other entities that seek to do business within Metro. And that message is, it’s not going to be business as usual anymore. That message is, we are a city that takes equity very seriously.”

A statement from Briley echoed Vercher’s sentiment: “I am proud of this new law and will do everything in my power to ensure its swift and effective implementation. I am thankful for the support of the Minority Business Advisory Council and Nashville Chamber of Commerce and strongly encourage the broader business community to study possible inequities in their own procurement practices.

“This legislation represents the first step in establishing equity in Metro contracting,” Briley’s statement continued. “We also will be working to make certain we create a coordinated business ecosystem to provide our small, women- and minority-owned businesses the resources and opportunities necessary to be successful.”

Ahead of the legislation, Briley hosted a press conference in November to formally announce a number of major policy changes that address race and gender disparities in how Metro contracts have been awarded to date.

The proposed policy changes stem from a 2017 Metro-commissioned Disparity Study conducted by consultants Griffin and Strong.

The study’s findings were presented to Metro Council on Sept. 17 and identified a lack of meaningful Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) inclusion efforts.

Griffin and Strong went on to propose remedial measures for the core aspects of the Equal Business Opportunity ordinance now before the Council.

“Without exception, all potential contractors deserve equal access to Metro projects, regardless of race or gender,” said Briley at the press conference in November. “Unfortunately, this study – the first since 2005 – found that the playing field has not been equitable over time.

“These measures will seek to change that,” he continued. “For our city to continue to thrive, everyone needs to be at the table.”


Brenda Gilmore proposes legislation to prevent young people from being tried in adult court

Lee Johnson
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Brenda Gilmore proposes legislation to prevent young people from being tried in adult court

By LEE JOHNSON / Nashville Voice

A state senator who was among those that requested clemency for a sex trafficking victim serving a life sentence for murder has filed legislation she hopes will benefit juveniles that end up in court for trying to protect themselves.

Sen. Brenda Gilmore, a Nashville Democrat, filed the bill Jan. 8, a day after Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown. Last month, Gilmore and other lawmakers held a news conference asking Haslam to free Brown.

In 2006, Brown was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison for shooting and killing 43-year-old Johnny Allen, who paid Brown for sex when she was 16, according to court documents.

Brown said that she had been raped by a boyfriend who had forced her into prostitution, and that she killed Allen when she saw him reaching for a gun while they were in bed.

Gilmore’s proposal would amend a current statute relative to minors by adding, “any person using force intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury is presumed to have held a reasonable belief that the force is immediately necessary to avoid imminent death or serious bodily injury, if the person is a minor at the time of use of force.”

Gilmore and supporters of the legislation hope for its passage so that it will benefit incarcerated women with stories similar to Brown’s, particularly the number of young people tried in adult courts.

“We need to do a better job of taking care of our children,” Gilmore said.

The latest statistics show some progress in the reduction of young people that are tried in adult courts. According to a 2017 report, from 2007 to 2014, the number of young people tried in adult courts dropped 48 percent, from 175,000 to 90,900. But child welfare advocates say more progress is needed.

“Everyone we work with has watched this (Brown) case very carefully,” said Derri Smith, CEO and founder of End Slavery Tennessee, an anti-human trafficking group. “I also think it’s certainly going to be providing some sort of legal precedence, moving us away from something as archaic as giving a life sentence to a minor, certainly someone as traumatized as she (Brown) was.”

The push for Brown’s clemency increased dramatically at the end of 2018. On Dec. 6, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that she would have to serve 51 years in prison before she could be eligible for parole.

But there was still a chance the governor, who had the final say on Brown’s freedom, could decide to release her before his term ends this month.

Brown, 30, is set to be released on Aug. 7 and will be on parole for 10 years.

“Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life,” Haslam said in his statement.

While in prison, Brown obtained a GED, associate’s degree and is set to obtain her bachelor’s degree in May. She also volunteers as a mentor to troubled youth in prison.

“She did everything we want prisoners to do,” Gilmore said. “She rehabilitated herself.”

Enough is enough: In observation of National Human Trafficking Day

Eric Brown
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Enough is enough: In observation of National Human Trafficking Day

By ERIC BROWN | Nashville Voice

Editor’s Note: This article may produce memories, feelings, or trauma that was never intended. The writer wanted to give a warning that is necessary to not create more harm through this material.

I’m not a big fan of holidays or days of observances. In fact, I’m probably the anti-holiday person. I understand the holidays are for the purpose of acknowledging events and moments, but when I start hearing a certain day is National Shoe Laces Day, one must ask, “When is enough, enough?”  

But today is exactly the day, to say Enough is Enough!  Each year, Jan. 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

It’s very fitting especially after now Former Tennessee Governor, Bill Haslam, granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown. She will be released in August after finishing 15 years being caged.

Brown was 16 years old when she was arrested, imprisoned and tried as an adult for murder. Being trafficked into prostitution by her pimp, Brown suffered a hard life.

As a teenager, and, in fear for her life, she shot and killed a 42-year-old man who picked her up for sex. She was convicted and handed a 51-year life sentence, which, for Brown, means she couldn’t even seek parole until she was 67 years old.

That was until Monday when a room full of family and friends hovered over a telephone in a conference room in the offices of Bone, McCallister, and Norton, to celebrate the forthcoming release of a wonderful person and soul.

Some people use their view to say that Brown was a “fast little girl” who knew what she was doing. The bigger issue this presents is to act as if not only her then 20-something-year-old pimp or the 42-year-old man had no agency to control their urges of exploiting and sexually using the body of a child.

To help people to not see this as just an individual situation, but a systemic and international problem, let’s discuss what human trafficking is and does around the world.

From the Homeland Security website, “Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.”

In other words, human trafficking is the business of selling freedom for profit.

This issue is not about a sexually active child luring grown men. It is about how one grown man took away the freedom of a child through manipulation, abuse, and violence to sell her body to another grown man for a cash transaction.

This is such a problem that even the White House took some action.

In 2010, by Presidential Proclamation, January is designated as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness month.

Economic Exploitation is the underlying force that pushes so many into bondage. It is a day to acknowledge that all humans must be seen with having the basic needs of justice, dignity, and freedom.

Many may hear stories of Brown, but not think of ways we all participate within human trafficking.

In a Psychology Today article, Dr. Mellissa Withers writes about how the Superbowl, “is commonly known as the single largest human trafficking incident in the United States.”

Trafficking, specifically, sex trafficking is a business and people chase the dollars wherever they can participate in the action. Because of the vastness of this issue, it can feel like an impossible task to end. But we can do our part to end it.

Even in the Tennessee Women’s Prison, Brown works to change a culture that allows girls and women to fall into human trafficking through trauma bonding—how girls and women see themselves bonded to their abuser and consider themselves not being a victim.

Brown defended this issue as a capstone for her college degree prison program at David Lipscomb University. She will graduate in May with her bachelor’s degree.

If you know of incidents of human trafficking, please call, 1 (888) 373-7888, for the National Human Trafficking Hotline.  Text Help or Info to 233733, and/or check out the Website: humantraffickinghotline.org The hotline is open 24 hours, 7 days a week and in English, Spanish and 200 more languages.

Eric Brown is a political consultant and community leader. His early work was in children advocacy and community and faith-based organizing around the cradle to the prison pipeline system and mass incarceration.


Johnson: ‘If there’s breath, there’s hope for change’

Lee Johnson
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Johnson: ‘If there’s breath, there’s hope for change’

By LEE JOHNSON | Nashville Voice

I had waited almost a decade – nine years and 11 months, to be exact.  

So I didn’t mind taking off from my job in Nashville, Tennessee and driving three hours to pick up my cousin Harold from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee.

In a way, I too was being released.  

When Harold and I were both nine years old, we watched our older cousins get high. They would often let Harold take puffs just to see his reaction. But they never let me smoke. It was as if our fates depended on their misconstrued judgments.

Even though I was as young as Harold, a guilty feeling haunted me over the years when I thought about how I did nothing to try to prevent him from smoking. I just watched him through the smoke that was growing between us, separating us as our lives went in different directions.

I eventually went off to college. Harold looked to the mean streets of Binghampton in Memphis, Tennessee, for his education.

As he got older, Harold’s drug usage escalated. He began using crack cocaine and became addicted. To support his habit, he burglarized several homes and even robbed a drug dealer.

By the time he was 24, Harold had been locked up four times. However, his longest stint came about four years later when he was charged with voluntary manslaughter following a botched drug deal. He was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

While I hated to see my cousin incarcerated, I was sort of relieved. At the rate he was going, I feared he might end up dead if he continued his lifestyle. I stayed in contact with him during his lock up.

I could tell during his letters and phone conversations that he was remorseful for his actions, and that he seemed to genuinely want to turn his life around.

But then, part of me was doubtful. Sure, he’s saying this now because he just wants to get out. But when he gets out, will he stay out?

Anderson, another cousin, gave me hope that Harold would. Anderson was also addicted to crack cocaine at one time and lived dangerously to support his habit. However, he changed.

I wrote an article about his recovery that appeared in Essence magazine and pierced the heart of one of Memphis, Tennessee’s toughest judges.

Anderson had to appear before Judge Ann Pugh for a probation violation that occurred during his addiction. He faced jail time. But after his attorney gave the judge the magazine article, and she read about his recovery and the positive things he’d been doing, she was moved.

“My reaction was something very out of the ordinary for me,” Judge Pugh said in a letter she sent me before she died in 2016. “The more I read, the more emotional I became, to the point that I could not read at all for the tears that were freely and uncontrollably flowing.

“I think the article brought out the hopelessness, the anguish, the total frustration that I feel toward repeat offenders, that family members and friends must feel when their loved ones revert back to the old ways of drugs and crime,” the letter continued. “And then your article showed that … there is hope – a bright side.”

Pugh dismissed the charge against Anderson, who has been sober more than 20 years and is living a successful life. He is among 10 male relatives in my family who have battled and overcome some type of substance abuse.

And I’m pleased to say that Harold is among the recovered.

He flattened his prison sentence and ended up serving about 10 years. It’s been about that long since I picked him up from the West Tennessee complex that sunny summer day in 2007.

Harold was a different person, with a positive outlook on life. And for the first time, I felt like he wouldn’t be back.

As we drove from the complex, I watched in my review mirror as it faded into the distance. I couldn’t help but smile. My guilt was fading with it.  

About two years ago, Harold got married, and I attended his wedding. His best man was his father, Terry, who at one time was imprisoned with Harold at a facility in Shelby County, Tennessee.

But Terry eventually overcame his drug addiction and revived an upholstery business in Memphis that is very successful. The two currently work together, and Terry plans to one day leave Harold the business.  

For Harold, Anderson, and Terry, there’s a “bright side.”

Unfortunately, many stories don’t end up that way.

Studies reveal high rates of recidivism among individuals released from prison.

One study that tracked 404,638 prisoners in 30 states after their release from prison in 2005 found that within three years of release, about 68 percent were rearrested, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.  

During my more than 20 years as a reporter, I learned that a large part of the reason for the high recidivism rate is the justice system’s lack of effective rehabilitation programs.

Political consultant David Keene alluded to the difficulty ex-offenders have re-acclimating to society in an interview for the Academy Award-nominated documentary “13th,” which explores mass incarceration in the U.S. prison system.

“In many ways, the prison system is sort of in the dark,” Keene said. “If you look at the whole problem … we have too many laws, locking too many people up, for too many things.

“And while they’re in prison, doing very little if anything to rehabilitate them so that they can re-enter civil society when they get out,” he added. “And then when they get out, we shun them.”

Keene’s assertion highlights the need for transitional living programs, as well as substance abuse programs, that give ex-offenders the best chance to be successful in society.

But then there’s also the help of family and friends – care that’s invaluable. No matter how many times Harold fell, those close to him had their hands extended.

And like Harold, I believe that it is best to pull anyone up as many times as necessary than to lower them once six feet.


Andrew Delke’s enraged defense attorney accuses DA Glenn Funk of ‘declaring war’ on Nashville Police

Niara Savage
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Andrew Delke’s enraged defense attorney accuses DA Glenn Funk of ‘declaring war’ on Nashville Police

By NIARA SAVAGE | Nashville Voice

On Monday, the case involving the Metro Nashville Police Officer who fatally shot 25-year-old Daniel Hambrick as he fled, intensified.

General Sessions Judge Melissa Blackburn decided that there is “sufficient proof,” to find probable cause that officer Andrew Delke did in fact commit criminal homicide when he used lethal force against Daniel Hambrick. The case will now be sent to a grand jury.

In the aftermath of the ruling, Delke’s defense attorney David Raybin publicly and angrily responded to the judge’s decision.

Not only did Raybin continue to thoroughly defend his client’s decision to shoot Hambrick despite the judge’s stern disapproval of this action, but Raybin also responded with fury to DA Glenn Funk’s comparison of Delke’s defense to that of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg.

“The District Attorney has functionally declared war on our police,” Raybin proclaimed. He then proceeded to allude once again to the fact that all Metro Nashville Police are “trained in an identical fashion,” as though this statement acts as a defense of the police, rather than as a worrisome indication of systemic problem within the force.

When questioned about the severity of the language ‘declaration of war,’ Raybin indignantly replied, “That’s what I said…” Without ever making reference to the devastating loss of Daniel Hambrick’s life, Raybin firmly asserted, “Let me be clear. Nashville police officers are not Nazis.”

In the ruling, Blackburn was sure to state the fact that officer Delke not only had no knowledge of Hambrick’s criminal history, but had also not observed Hambrick committing any crime.

Blackburn also made it clear that although Hambricks’ decision to run may be considered suspicious, fleeing from the officer was not a crime, nor does it “justify the use of lethal force.”

She added that using lethal force against a fleeing person thought to be guilty of no more than a misdemeanor violates the Constitutional Rights of the “person in flight.”

The judge also criticized the defense’s heavy reliance of the claim that Hambrick turned and fired his weapon as he fled, is there is no video evidence of this action occurring. Blackburn also knocked the defense’s claims and “conjecture,” stating that “in Tennessee, evidence that a fact is possible is no evidence at all.”

Supporters have said that Blackburn made the right ruling for the City of Nashville, as her decision to send the case to a grand jury counts as one step closer to justice to all parties involved—Delke will undergo a fair trial and the Hambrick family will have their day is court.


Two potential candidates who could replace Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur

Mike Patton
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Two potential candidates who could replace Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur

By MIKE PATTON | Nashville Voice

The Tennessee Titans entered the offseason with some questions. One question was answered with the retirement of Brian Orakpo, clearing the way for Harold Landry III to start next season at outside linebacker.

One other question facing the Titans is how they will improve on its 25th-ranked offense. The return of All-Pro tight end Delanie Walker will help, but the Titans also thought another year of Matt LaFleur paired with Marcus Mariota could make a difference.

Well, now we will never know as word has come that LaFleur has accepted the head coaching position with the Green Bay Packers, pairing him with future NFL Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.

With LaFleur gone after one season, where do the Titans turn next for their offensive coordinator?

Right now there are not many names being mentioned, but one that could be talked about as the new offensive coordinator is Mark Helfrich. Currently, Helfrich is the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and he has been a part of that offense’s growth this season.

While the Bears offense wasn’t exactly explosive in terms of their rank in the NFL, they were able to make plays and put pressure on defenses. That type of offensive coordinator ingenuity is needed for the Titans and along with the creativeness, the symmetry is there between Helfrich and the Titans.

Before Helfrich joined the NFL, he was the head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon.

One quarterback he got to coach for a few years out at Oregon was Marcus Mariota. He helped mold him into the quarterback that would become the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Pairing these two together would allow for Marcus to feel comfortable in an offense he ran in college. The offensive change would also mean more tempo for the offense, which would create mismatches.

A guy like Taywan Taylor would benefit tremendously in this offense as he has skills that would fit right into what Helfrich wants to do with the quick-hitting and gadget plays.

Helfrich would be a good candidate, but another potential candidate for offensive coordinator is a guy who was out of the NFL last season. Derrell Bevell was the guy behind the Seattle offensive gameplans each week up until last season when he was fired.

Bevell had the Seahawks playing well under his leadership offensively and he was responsible for helping mold Russell Wilson on the field and creating an offense that showcased his mobility and his arm talent.

Marcus Mariota is not Russell Wilson, but both are mobile quarterbacks that can throw the football well at times—Wilson is more accurate, of course.

With the focus of Bevell’s offense being the running game and having the quarterback make plays off that along with running the quarterback in designed plays, Bevell could have the Titans’ offense looking better than it was last season.

And also he would inherit a better offensive line than he had in Seattle, where they turned former defensive linemen and former basketball players into offensive linemen. The combination of Bevell and Mariota could provide some better play from Mariota and also provide some explosion on the scoreboard.

These two candidate’s names have not currently been mentioned, but they could potentially make the Titans offense better.

And, even more importantly, they would be good coordinators to accentuate the talents of Mariota as a passer, athlete, and playmaker. It will be interesting to see which direction the Titans go.


Aphesis House offers ‘first step’ for ex-offenders to get back on track

Lee Johnson
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Aphesis House offers ‘first step’ for ex-offenders to get back on track

By LEE JOHNSON | Nashville Voice

When James Settles reflects on his life 30 years ago, and where he is now, the 55-year-old can’t help but shout, “Glory!”

Settles created a transitional living program in Nashville, Tennessee called Aphesis House. In Greek, aphesis means, “to let go, or forgive.”

“No one is beyond redemption, regardless of the nature or scope of mistakes they have made in the past,” said Settles, who let go of his criminal lifestyle before it was too late.

Currently, Aphesis is a leader in transitional housing services in Middle Tennessee and has published materials on how to start effective recovery programs, including a book by Settles on starting and managing a transitional house.

Aphesis has a success rate of over 80 percent and has helped more than 800 men find their way back to society.

“God is using Aphesis House to provide the kind of facility where men can get the life skills they need to live a better life,” Settles said. “For that, I say, glory!”

Supporters of transitional living programs like Aphesis say they play a vital role in reducing recidivism. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with more than 2.3 million people imprisoned.

One study by the U.S. Department of Justice tracked 404,638 prisoners in 30 states after their release from prison in 2005. The researchers found that within three years of release, about two-thirds, or 68 percent, of released prisoners were rearrested. Within five years, 77 percent were rearrested, the study found.

However, the federal government is providing help to programs like Aphesis House to address the incarceration problem.

The sweeping criminal justice reform bill that passed Congress in December offers faith-based programs—Aphesis has a faith-based component—increased opportunities to minister to inmates.

The First Step Act lists faith-based programs as an option for inmates who want to earn time off their sentences by preparing for a productive life after prison.

Tennessee State Representative Raumesh Akbari, a staunch supporter of prison reform, said transitional living programs give ex-felons a better chance of staying out of prison by providing them with resources like housing, transportation, and possible employment.

“A lot of times when people are released from the prison system they’re given a bus ticket, a bag of their belongings, and they’re expected to just jump right in,” Akbari said. “I think it’s crucial to bridge that gap from incarceration to back to being a part of society.”

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Settles spent most of his adult life in and out of prison. His longest stint was in 1986 when he was sentenced to 10 years after being convicted of attempted murder and illegal drug possession.

One day, while sitting in his 6 by 8 feet cell at the Turney Center Prison in Only, Tennessee, Settles thought about the past few years of his life.

“For the first time, I began to examine myself,” said Settles, who was ironically a victim of the drugs he sold. “I thought I had it all – money, drugs, cars, women at my beck and call. I never stopped to think that my fast life could so abruptly end, with me in prison – or worse.“

That day, the 27th of his 10-year sentence, Settles fell on his knees, and with tears in his eyes, cried out to the Higher Power he’d heard his mother talk about.

“Lord, I don’t know any more about You than what my mother always talked about,” Settles said. “But if You are real, I’m asking You to come into my life and help me not to use drugs again.”

When he stood up, Settles said he felt as if a heavy load had been lifted off his shoulders.

“For the first time in my life, I could see beyond the prison bars,” he recalled. “I saw a future.”

Settles adopted a new mindset.

Not only did he stop using drugs, but he vowed to stop selling them. And he stuck by that when he was finally released after serving a shorter sentence of eight years.

He was sent to a halfway house in Nashville where he spent 90 days before becoming the facility’s manager; a position he would hold for two years.

During that time, he met a woman named Renee and the two began dating. Settles also started a successful auto detailing business. But that wasn’t the only success he was having. His relationship with Renee got serious, to the point they were considering marriage.

Settles said the money he was making from his business allowed him to make a down payment on a house he and Renee had picked out.

They closed on the house the morning of June 28, 1996; had a get together at the house that afternoon to celebrate with family and friends; then got married in the home that evening.

Also living in the house would be Renee’s 13-year-old son, Lance, from a previous marriage, and Marico, Settles’ 16-year-old son.

“That night, as we all moved into our new home, I knew for certain the Lord had introduced me to a new life as he blessed me with a new start,” Settles said. “He really made a difference in my life. That’s why I always say, glory!”

With that new start, recalled Settles, would also come a new line of work.

“Even though I had abandoned a life of crime and violence and was living responsibly, I felt restless,” Settles said. “One night (in a dream), God reminded me of the transformation I made while in prison and of the success He had given me at the halfway house after leaving prison.

“God clearly showed me that these things happened for a purpose,” he continued. “I realized that just like God had helped me, He wanted me to help others.”

That’s when he got the idea for Aphesis House, a transitional living program that would not only help ex-felons acclimate to society but also help men battling addiction and homelessness.

Settles had been speaking in the community about his desire to start Aphesis, and a prayer was answered in 2003 when a family donated a home, allowing him to open his first halfway house.

Over the next 11 years, Aphesis grew from that single home, which could provide space for four men at a time, to operating four facilities across Nashville and serving up to 28 men at once.

“James’ passion for Aphesis is contagious,” said Renee, who has a degree in social work and works tirelessly to help support the program. “I saw how passionate and how dedicated he was, and I latched onto it.”

One of those men is Tim Holt, who has been living a successful life since leaving Aphesis 11 years ago. Holt said Aphesis’ relapse prevention program and its behavior modification classes were particularly helpful in changing his lifestyle.

“Aphesis House helped me to grow into the man I am today,” said Holt, who is now married and owns a house. “I’m blessed.”

Whether it’s on the phone in his 10 by 13 feet office, or meeting with community and business leaders, Settles is busy making connections that he hopes will allow Aphesis to help even more men.

The program is currently seeking funding to build sort of a one-stop facility that will provide more housing, and also set up an apprenticeship program that will give ex-felons training in fields like carpentry and electrical wiring.

For more information about Aphesis House, visit: www.aphesishouse.org.


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