Tenn. Deputies Hunt Deer to Feed the Hungry

PARIS, Tenn. -- Law enforcement officers are expected to keep the peace, but they're hardly expected to go out and hunt for the public to put food on the table.

Henry County Sheriff Monte Belew is proud of what sits in his jail's freezer: hundreds of pounds of ground deer venison, much of it provided by his staff and local hunters who go out on their off days and hunt for the hungry.

"So if you can do something while you're off duty to help the people you've dealt with while you're on duty, it's a win-win situation," Belew said.

Once the deer is harvested, inmates like David Williams use their skills to clean the deer and process it into ground venison.

Williams will spend Christmas in prison this year, but he said this work makes him want to be a better person.

"It makes you think twice about things you do. It makes you feel really good. It's truly a blessing that we get to put our abilities to better use," Williams said.

Like a lot of counties in Middle Tennessee, Henry County is suffering from double-digit unemployment. Even though downtown looks like a Christmas card, many people there could use a little help.

"If we have people in Tennessee that are needy, that don't have meat on the table, it's a crying shame because of the natural resources we have here," said Henry County hunter Brenda Valentine.

Free venison is offered at the Henry County Jail every Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The next giveaway is Christmas Eve.