Jackson State Community College partners with UT Martin and Carey Counseling, Inc to receive large grant from USDA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 2021

Jackson, Tenn. - Jackson State Community College will partner with the University of Tennessee at Martin and Carey Counseling Center, Inc., on a USDA Delta Health Care Services grant. The purpose of the $547,293 De-escalation Techniques and Emergency Response Project (DETER) is to develop a public-health training facility in West, TN, which will deliver de-escalation and emergency health intervention training to reduce the injury and mortality rates of police-citizen encounters.

Jackson State will focus on connecting our criminal justice students to critical training that will prepare them for a successful long-term career in criminal justice.

Karen Perrin, Jackson State Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, explained that "DETER will help to reduce risk to law enforcement officers and the people they serve." She also stated that "This is a great opportunity for Jackson State, UT Martin, and Carey Counseling to work together to facilitate meaningful change for our community."

The DETER Project aims to improve the public health of diverse and marginalized groups in the Delta Region, which includes West Tennessee and the surrounding areas, by training current and aspiring police officers in critical assessment, de-escalation tactics, and less-lethal strategies for citizen interaction. DETER will also train social workers and civilian crisis intervention teams, and educate adult, youth, and minority stakeholders in strategies that reduce public-health risks during police interaction. More information about the DETER Project is available by contacting Perrin at kperrin@jscc.edu.

The Jackson State Criminal Justice Program offers Tennessee Transfer Pathways in Associate of Science and Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice, awards an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice, and Corrections and Law Enforcement Certificates.