County courthouses across Tennessee have been allotted thousands of dollars in grants to purchase new security equipment. The Tennessee General Assembly and Governor Bredesen approved in the 2007-2008 budget an additional two million dollars to upgrade and improve courthouse security across the state. The grants will go toward panic buttons, handheld metal detectors, bulletproof benches, walkthrough magnetometers, X-ray machines, camera and surveillance systems, Tazer guns and bulletproof vests. A portion of the money will also be used for training security personnel. A total of 83 counties received funding. Sullivan County received a total amount of 60-thousand dollars to beef up it’s court room security. In August 2005, an inmate serving time for robbery and assault escaped after his wife allegedly killed a guard who was escorting the shackled prisoner outside the Roane County courthouse.