Operations at regional Job Corps locations being paused by Department of Labor

Six US Job Corps facilities in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia are having their operations suspended after the Department of Labor reported operating in the red and the uptick in violent crime at those communities.

The agency has reported losses of over $1 billion per year with the expenditure for each student participating at $80,000–and a graduation rate of only 39 percent. The most recent data provided showed more than 14,000 criminal acts were committed at Job Corps locations, including 2,700 cases of drug use, more than 300 sexually-related crimes and 1,700 acts of violence.

The Job Corp facilities affected in our region include locations in Marion, Flatwoods in Wise County, Jacob’s Creek in Bristol, TN, Cherokee, NC, Pine Knot, KY and administrative offices in Johnson City. The operational moves are expected to be completed by the end of June.

(IMAGE: The Jacobs Creek Job Corps entrance in Bristol, TN / Google Maps)