Secretary of Adult Correction Todd Ishee recently announced a $1.9 million investment from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction to support local reentry councils working to assist formerly incarcerated people returning to North Carolina’s communities.

Ishee’s announcement came at the North Carolina Rehabilitation and Reentry Conference in Raleigh, which was attended by more than 700 people working to support the rehabilitation and reentry of formerly incarcerated people.

“It’s critical that we meet people leaving incarceration with the services they need to be successful and avoid returning to prison or jail,” said Ishee. “This funding to support these councils will help build safer communities in North Carolina.  It represents a major step forward in our goal to serve all 100 counties with local reentry councils.”

There are currently 17 established local reentry councils in operation, serving 19 North Carolina counties. 

Local reentry councils are alliances of community organizations that work collaboratively to support formerly incarcerated people with necessary services like housing, transportation, employment, treatment and much more.  

By pooling community resources and working together, these councils can help provide greater levels of support to justice-involved people, even in areas where resources are scarce.

With the $1.9 million in funding from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction an additional 11 emerging reentry councils serving 27 counties will be funded and supported:

Halifax, Northampton 

Hertford, Gates, Chowan, Bertie

Pender, Duplin, Brunswick

Carteret, Onslow

 Lenoir, Greene, Jones

Avery, Yancey

Gaston

Union, Anson

Chatham, Lee  

Rowan

Washington, Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, Martin

The NC Department of Adult Correction will soon release a request for proposals, soliciting organizations interested in operating these new local reentry councils.