Judges and Recovery Court seek roughly $650,000 to renovate former General Sessions Court for consolidated recovery services

Judges and Recovery Court officials asked Sumner County commissioners on March 13 to approve renovation funding for part of the former General Sessions Court building so Recovery Court and the Recovery Court Foundation can consolidate offices, clinical services and program space.

Judge Blanton, speaking for the Recovery Court and the foundation, said the requested renovation would convert roughly 8,800 square feet into shared space for intensive outpatient programming, celebrating-families sessions, storage for medications and supplies, and administrative offices. He asked the county to appropriate up to $650,000 to cover construction and a contingency; the Opioid Abatement Committee had roughly $500,000 tentatively set aside for the project, and Judge Blanton said he planned to request the remainder in his capital budget if necessary.

Judge Blanton described the operational need: Recovery Court currently operates in multiple rented and county-owned locations and lacks accessible, consolidated classroom and clinical space. He said the program serves roughly 70–76 participants weekly and can accommodate up to 100. Blanton cited program outcomes during his presentation, saying the court’s recidivism rates…