County Probation Office opens July 1

Approximately 300 local residents who are on probation for misdemeanor crimes will report to the new Lawrence County Misdemeanor Probation office beginning July 1.
Tammy Hardy has been hired as Director, and Chase Wall as Probation Officer. Their office, recently renovated by our maintenance department, is on the second floor of the Lawrence County Courthouse.

Hardy and Wall came to us with significant experience in the field. Hardy has worked for Circuit Court Clerks Leon Clanton, Debbie Riddle, and Tommy Lee Kidd, and spent 12 years with Probation Services of Tennessee. Wall worked as a probation/parole officer in the local Tennessee Department of Correction office, spent 16 years as a Reserve Deputy, and is a longtime volunteer firefighter and fire investigator with Lawrence County Fire Rescue.
Probation was a function of county government until 20 years ago, when we contracted with Probation Services of Tennessee to manage those operations. I’m grateful for the work that business did for us, but there are some things local government is better equipped to handle than the private sector. Probation is one of them.
Several counties across the country have lost class-action lawsuits because they used private probation services, including our neighbor Giles County. These suits have cost other counties millions of dollars and we are taking proactive measures to ensure that doesn’t happen here.
Our probation office will put a priority on collecting court costs and fees, so we expect at least part of its expense to be covered. The Lawrence County Commission funded the new department with $200,000 in its first year for expenses including drug testing.
Probation is a real blessing for folks who make mistakes that bring them before General Sessions Judge Mike Harris. As a sentence given instead of jail time, probation allows them to stay at home and remain employed while they take advantage of the opportunity to turn their lives around. Probation officers are there to help them stay on the right path.
I’m proud Lawrence County Government has taken this step to serve people who need a little extra help. Thank you to the County Commission for its support, and to Tammy Hardy and Chase Wall for the work they’re prepared to begin.