North Carolina panel approves plan to enhance prisoner reentry outcomes

Governor Cooper emphasized the importance of this collaborative effort in a news release on Tuesday, stating, “This plan lays out our roadmap to help transform the lives of people leaving prison and reentering society while making our communities safe.”

His executive order called for a “whole-of-government” approach, requiring cooperation among Cabinet departments and state agencies to meet these goals, as reported by AP.

North Carolina releases more than 18,000 individuals annually from its adult correctional facilities, many of whom face significant obstacles in securing employment, education, healthcare, and housing due to their criminal records.

North Carolina has launched a comprehensive reentry plan, aligning with the national Reentry 2030 initiative, aimed at supporting successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals.

The state has set bold goals, including a 75% rise in high school diplomas or skills credentials among incarcerated juveniles and adults by 2030, and a 10% yearly decrease in homelessness among former inmates, as reported by the AP.

This makes North Carolina the third state to officially join the Reentry 2030 initiative, led by the Council of State Governments and other organizations.

Several initiatives are already underway. The Department of Adult Correction has partnered with a driving school to help prisoners obtain commercial driver’s licenses, while the Department of Health and Human Services has allocated $5.5 million to a program supporting recently released offenders with serious mental illnesses, according to Cooper’s release.

In January, Governor Cooper mentioned that funding for many of these initiatives was already secured, including new federal grants enabling prisoners to pursue post-secondary education to enhance their job prospects upon release.