The Chattanooga Police Department joined community members, advocates and local leaders Sept. 19 in support of the fifth annual Running Down Recidivism 5K, an event focused on raising awareness of reentry initiatives and efforts to help returning citizens successfully transition back into their communities.
The 5K began at 9:30 a.m. at the Blue Goose Hollow Trail near 935 Riverfront Parkway. Proceeds and community support from the event benefit The BRAVE Effect, a Chattanooga-based nonprofit that works with individuals returning to the community after involvement with the justice system.
The event also marked the establishment of BRAVE Day through a joint proclamation from Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp.
According to the proclamation, the designation reflects a shared city and county commitment to addressing barriers faced by returning citizens, reducing recidivism and promoting public safety through community support, workforce opportunities and pathways to successful reentry.
The Chattanooga Police Department’s participation highlighted the role of law enforcement and community organizations in addressing the factors that can contribute to repeated involvement with the justice system.
“Running Down Recidivism is more than just a race–it is a physical demonstration of our community’s collective stride toward restoration and resilience,” said Joe Jenkins, founder and CEO of The BRAVE Effect and Unshackled Mindset.
Jenkins said the joint proclamation demonstrates the community’s recognition of the work being done to support people returning home from the justice system.
“We are running to ensure that every individual leaving the justice system has the backing to stay out for good,” Jenkins said.
The BRAVE Effect–an acronym for Building Relationships And Valuable Encounters–was founded by Jenkins, whose own experience with incarceration shaped the organization’s mission.
Jenkins spent more than 13 years in the federal prison system after an earlier incarceration in Hamilton County. After his release, he returned to the Chattanooga neighborhoods where he had previously lived and recognized the challenges confronting formerly incarcerated individuals, including family estrangement, employment barriers and unresolved trauma.
Those experiences led Jenkins to develop a reentry program designed to help individuals prepare for life after incarceration.
The BRAVE Effect provides personalized coaching, employment assistance and guidance intended to help participants establish healthy boundaries, relationships and principles for their lives after release. Its programming can begin before an individual’s release from jail.
The organization also has partnered with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, which became the first local jail to host The BRAVE Effect inside its facility. Through the partnership, Jenkins and his staff can work with individuals before their release and help them prepare for the transition back into the community.
Over the years, the organization has expanded its community presence through recreational and community facilities that provide participants with access to support, resources and employment opportunities.
The annual Running Down Recidivism 5K has become one of the organization’s signature community events, bringing together runners, families, advocates, business leaders and supporters around the goal of successful reentry.
Now in its fifth year, the event is held annually on the third Saturday in September.
For The BRAVE Effect, the event represents more than an athletic competition. It serves as an opportunity to bring attention to the challenges facing returning citizens and the community resources available to help them build productive lives.
The Sept. 19 event’s designation as BRAVE Day added a civic dimension to that message, bringing Chattanooga and Hamilton County together in recognition of reentry, community support and efforts to break the cycle of recidivism.