Governor Roy Cooper announced the launch of the Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan, a comprehensive framework designed to enhance the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals. This plan was approved last week by the Governor’s Joint Reentry Council, an advisory body established in January through Executive Order No. 303. The Executive Order mandated a coordinated government effort to improve reentry processes, involving collaboration between cabinet agencies, the Office of State Human Resources, and the Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission.
The Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan outlines 26 ambitious and measurable objectives aimed at significantly advancing reentry, rehabilitation, and educational services. Additionally, it includes 133 specific strategies, which represent commitments from state agencies and other organizations to undertake concrete actions to achieve these goals. The plan also features performance metrics to monitor North Carolina’s progress in meeting its objectives.
Local and community-based reentry programs are eager to see how it will enhance their efforts on the ground. Cooper anticipates that Reentry 2030 will provide much-needed support and resources to better serve individuals transitioning back into society.
Portia Bright-Pittman was involved in the early stages of Governor Cooper’s Reentry Council Collaborative back in 2018. She is also the founder of N.C. Reentry Innovators for Success, Inc., a community outreach organization based in Winterville, focused on helping individuals reintegrate into society after incarceration.
“Initially, when we first started in 2020, it was created to help people find a place to live, you know, after they were being released from prison during the pandemic. And so that has transitioned into, offering workshops and partnerships with the Department of Health and Human Services and N.C. Works.
Bright-Pittman, herself, is a reentry success story, being a mother, entrepreneur, published author and North Carolina legislative assistant. She hopes Reentry 2030 will change the dialogue around incarceration and help bring more attention to the issue.
“I think we are seeing some positive changes in our communities. And just change the, you know, the whole perspective that, you know, once a person is incarcerated that you know, that they can’t get out and do better, change their lives. Because that’s what we want to see at the end of the day, that’s the only way we’re going to be able to reduce recidivism, is to offer resources.”
Bright-Pittman said this is just the beginning and she is eager to see this initiative make an impact across the state.
“We’re excited about this partnership with Department of Health and Human Services in Pitt County and looking forward to it traveling across the state to, you know, help other folks who are in other communities access these resources as well.”
Several of the Reentry 2030 initiatives have already started. The Department of Adult Correction has begun a program with a driving school to help train prisoners to obtain commercial driver’s licenses, and the Department of Health and Human Services has provided $5.5 million toward a program helping recently released offenders with serious mental illnesses.
The Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan places significant emphasis on expanding and strengthening Local Reentry Councils (LRCs) across North Carolina. These councils play a vital role in providing comprehensive support to formerly incarcerated individuals as they transition back into their communities. So far, the number of LRCs has increased substantially under the new plan.
"Before this plan, we had 17 LRCs serving 19 counties. The increase in LRCs will definitely give our justice involved individuals more access to supportive services that will lead to a decrease in recidivism," Angela Wilson, director of the Craven-Pamlico Local Reentry Council, noted.
LRCs offer a wide range of services tailored to the needs of returning citizens. These include assistance with transportation, housing, education, childcare, food, mentorship, and even support for entrepreneurship. For instance, the Craven-Pamlico LRC, established in 2017, provides up to $500 for housing support for three months, funds educational programs such as Commercial Driver's License (CDL) classes, and offers gas cards for transportation to work or school. The holistic approach of LRCs is designed to address the multiple challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals.
"We try to be a holistic approach," Wilson said. "If we can't provide it, we have partners that can step in and help us."
This collaborative model allows LRCs to connect clients with mental health and substance abuse services through partnerships with organizations like PORT Human Services and peer support recovery programs. One of the biggest challenges for justice involved people is securing employment. Many employers do not even interview applicants with a criminal record. Without the opportunity to earn income or the structure that work can provide, it often leads to recidivism.
"Employment is a humongous barrier to reentry. Without employment, justice involved individuals revert back to what they were doing that lead them to jail," Wilson said.
To address this, the Craven-Pamlico LRC employs a job placement specialist who work directly with employers to create opportunities for justice-involved individuals.
Education is another key focus area for LRCs.
"Education allows justice involved individuals the opportunity to compete for living wage jobs, support their families and become a tax paying citizen," Wilson said. "Education also helps promote public safety by giving justice involved individuals options other than the ones that will lead them back to jail."
As the Reentry 2030 plan progresses, the expansion of LRCs across more counties is expected to significantly enhance the state's ability to support successful reentry and reduce recidivism rates. By providing localized, comprehensive support, these councils are poised to play a crucial role in achieving the ambitious goals set forth in the Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan.
