Author: Greg Thomas
Second Chance Month Events
Tuesday, April 16 - 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Driver's License Restoration Workshop
NC Works Career Center
1830-B Tillery Pl, Raleigh, 27604
Questions? Contact James Johnson - 919-754-5382
Thursday, April 25 - 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Navigating Through Reentry
Craven Community College, 800 College Ct, New Bern, NC 28562
Naumann Community Room
Questions? Contact Angela Wilson - 252-514-3189
Tuesday, April 30 - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - The Reentry Community Resource Fair
The Omega Center, 800 Cedar St, New Bern, NC 28560
Questions? Contact Angela Wilson - 252-514-3189
April is Second Chance Month in North Carolina, a time to focus attention on the challenges facing the more than 20,000 people returning to their communities each year after completing their sentences in prison.
Having a criminal record usually triggers a host of consequences that most people never stop to think about. People leaving prison are starting over. They frequently need a place to live, a job and support to re-start their lives. They also need to find transportation and health care.
Reentry programs help individuals to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into communities by connecting them with resources from government, nonprofit and business groups. The goal is to begin connecting them before they leave incarceration so that support is already in place and established in their home community.
“About 95 percent of people in prison will eventually return to their communities, so we owe it to them to help them got on their feet and be successful,” said Todd Ishee, secretary for the Department of Adult Correction. “Helping our ex-offenders get back on their feet reduces the likelihood they’ll re-offend and it improves public safety.”
Earlier this year, Gov. Roy Cooper established the NC Joint Reentry Council under Executive Order 303. It directs all NC state cabinet agencies to coordinate efforts in improving rehabilitation and reentry of offenders returning to their communities after serving a sentence in a state correctional institution.
Governor Cooper proclaimed April to be Second Chance Month in North Carolina. Read the proclamation here.
On the national level, Reentry 2030 is an initiative that aims to dramatically improve reentry success for people exiting prison & for those under community supervision. As a key part of our mission, NCDAC is committed to helping offenders navigate the complex transition process - and we join our Reentry 2030 partners to work for reentry that is more coordinated, transparent & equitable.
DAC’s Division of Rehabilitation and Reentry, the NC Joint Reentry Council, the State Reentry Council Collaborative, and 17 local reentry councils serving 19 counties across the state, work every day to help increase the success of our returning citizens. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Mark your calendar for April 22-24 for the 2024 NC Rehabilitation and Reentry Conference. Find out more here.