By Tony Grande, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer

Each new year brings an opportunity for new beginnings and meaningful reflection. In my more than 20 years of service at CoreCivic, it’s hard to think of a year as remarkable as 2024. Last year, we celebrated many milestones, especially through CoreCivic’s continued efforts to serve as a thought leader both among our profession and the criminal justice arena at large.

In 2021, CoreCivic designated Daren Swenson to serve as the vice president of Reentry Partnerships and Innovation, a role in which he was tasked with establishing relationships with key stakeholders who could provide thoughtful feedback to help CoreCivic develop as a better corrections and detention service provider while also sharing our own best practices and insights. Opportunities for organizational growth and enhancement are often spurred by challenges and outside perspective.

This role, which is now held by Jeb Beasley, is aimed at inviting outside voices into conversation with CoreCivic leadership so we may hear from others on ways CoreCivic can grow and develop as a company, especially in offering lasting and effective rehabilitative and reentry services to those in our care. Some of these conversations began years ago, and we knew it would take some time to see some of the fruit from these productive conversations. However, I am delighted to share some of the progress we celebrated last year, due in part to the help of these partnerships with criminal justice thought leaders around the world.

In 2024, CoreCivic welcomed individuals, such as Marcus Bullock, to speak to those in our care. While Marcus is a highly successful businessman and captivating speaker today, he has had his own share of adversity, having faced a felony conviction early in his life. Marcus emphasizes to residents that while a prison sentence may appear to be the end, it can actually be the beginning of one’s own reclamation that leads to a life of fulfillment and purpose.

Last summer, CoreCivic hosted members of the ARrow Center for Criminal Justice Reform at our Crowley County Correctional Facility in Olney Springs, Colorado, and Centennial Community Transition Center in Englewood, Colorado. This was a chance for emerging leaders in our field—both from inside CoreCivic and elsewhere—to engage with our partners on best practices in corrections, rehabilitation, and reentry. Through partnerships with individuals like Marcus and groups like ARrow, CoreCivic can expand its thought leadership and deepen the professionalism and engagement of our employees and leaders. These stakeholders are deeply invested in the success of justice-involved individuals, helping CoreCivic give its best to those in our care and our government partners.

I am confident that positive change can take form through our role in the criminal justice space when we take time to be intentional about listening and understanding the real needs surrounding reentry and rehabilitation in America.

Finally, CoreCivic has had the privilege since 1991 to sponsor outside organizations that are dedicated to supporting justice-involved individuals, victims of crime, and underserved youth through the CoreCivic Foundation. I am proud to announce that the CoreCivic Foundation celebrated a record-breaking year in 2024, where it raised more than $550,000 for 42 non-profit organizations that are dedicated to these causes. What a joy it is to see these non-profit organizations carry out their meaningful work within Tennessee and beyond!

This year, I look forward to more opportunities for CoreCivic to be a leader in helping those in our care succeed, as well as continued opportunities to partner with community organizations that help CoreCivic better the public good.