Knox County delays decision to redirect court-collected victim funds to new ‘Bridge to Safety’ program after hours of debate

The Knox County Commission on April 27 postponed for 60 days a resolution that would have designated court-collected victim-assistance assessment monies to the county sheriff’s Victim Assistance Fund to support a new Bridge to Safety program.

Criminal court clerk Mike Hammond told commissioners the Bridge to Safety — a county-led victim services effort that now operates from the city–county building and the Randy E. Nichols Family Justice Center — has helped more than 150 people since it launched and needs stable funding to continue 24-hour help for domestic-violence victims. Hammond asked that the county direct the assessment dollars collected in domestic-violence cases to the Sheriff’s Office victim-assistance account, saying every penny would go to direct services and pledging quarterly accounting to the commission.

Representatives of the Knoxville Family Justice Center, a 20-year-old nonprofit that previously carried the county’s designated victim-assistance program role, urged commissioners to reject the switch. Clay Puit, the nonprofit’s board president, and Shannon Lee, the interim executive director, said the nonprofit serves thousands of victims annually, holds high satisfaction scores and has been the county’s designated program since 2011. They said redirecting the funds now — while their organization is operating from a temporary location after losing office space and grant eligibility changes — would hobble services and disrupt established community partnerships.

The hearing devolved into repeated, detailed exchanges about governance, past operational problems at the nonprofit, and whether law-enforcement partners were denied access to resources. Sheriff’s Office advocates described instances they said showed victims were not getting timely help and argued the sheriff’s office and other county partners needed direct access to the funds. Family Justice Center leaders and their supporters, including several nonprofit partners, said the group has restructured and remained a trusted community provider. Both sides described instances in which victims were assisted — including emergency hotel stays, diapers, transportation and clothing — and argued they were the better steward of limited dollars.

Several commissioners pressed for specifics about budgets, staffing and duplication of services. The Family Justice Center acknowledged recent leadership turnover and a loss of some grant revenue; Bridge to Safety leaders said county staff have covered immediate needs while the dispute continued. Legal counsel and staff noted that a newly passed state bill (Senate Bill 2085, cited in discussion) factors into how counties must identify the designated victim assistance program for assessment monies.

Faced with split votes and calls for further mediation, the commission accepted a substitute motion to postpone the resolution for 60 days so the two sides could meet, attempt mediation and report back. The motion passed six to five. Commissioners asked both parties to document service differences and provide a pathway for a negotiated or conditional solution when they return.

What happens next: The commission’s postponement requires Bridge to Safety and the Family Justice Center to meet, produce a plan and return with concrete proposals within the 60-day window. The commission said it expects a quarterly accounting if funds are reallocated and signaled it may revisit the county’s formal designation of the victim-assistance program once it has more information.

Who said what: Criminal court clerk Mike Hammond asked the commission to move the assessment funds to the Sheriff’s Office account “where every single penny will be used for domestic violence victims”; Randy Nichols, former district attorney, backed the request and described the program as a way to break cycles of violence. Clay Puit and Shannon Lee of the Knoxville Family Justice Center warned the commission the nonprofit would be damaged if funding were shifted now. Knox County victim advocates who work daily with survivors described operational problems they encountered and urged funding for direct services.

The commission’s decision to postpone does not change current operations or spending; it delayed a formal designation by the county that would have redirected the court assessment funds to the sheriff’s Victim Assistance Fund. Commissioners said they want the two sides to meet and return with reconciled plans or clear recommendations.