DeAndre Brown named acting executive director of Shelby County Office of Reentry

Katherine Burgess
Memphis Commercial Appeal
DeAndre Brown is executive director of the nonprofit LifeLine to Success.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has named DeAndre Brown acting executive director of the Shelby County Office of Reentry.

The Office of Reentry works to find resources for former inmates, helping them find employment or become entrepreneurs. Brown replaces Harold Collins, who is now deputy director of corrections.

Brown, who spent nearly two years in prison, is executive director of the nonprofit LifeLine to Success, which he founded in 2009 with his wife to help ex-offenders reenter society. 

“I believe that DeAndre Brown will approach his work at the Office of Reentry with the same commitment he’s shown while building LifeLine to Success," said Harris in a written statement. "He has the opportunity to hit the ground running with our existing programs to reduce recidivism and give ex-offenders tools to successfully reenter society. We hope that his experience and connections to the community will help grow our reentry program and change more lives.”

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According to a news release, Brown's own criminal history had blocked him from becoming a chaplain at a local hospital, an experience that fueled his commitment to help other ex-offenders develop skills to reenter the community. 

“It was clear when we started LifeLine to Success that if given the tools and the opportunities, ex-offenders could become successful and productive citizens," Brown said in a written statement. "It’s the same for people who look to the Office of Reentry for guidance and help. They need to know that hope exists and not only that it exist, but that they can have it. This office has an impressive list of programs and partners, but I believe I will be able to build on what other leaders there have accomplished.”

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Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-529-2799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.