Author: Brooke Wheeler, PhD
In January 2024, North Carolina signed onto the Council of State Government’s national Reentry 2030 initiative, which aims to drastically improve reentry success for people exiting prison and those under supervision by 2030. Gov. Roy Cooper issued an Executive Order that prompts a holistic government approach to reduce barriers that people who are incarcerated encounter when they are released from prison.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, state governments spend at least $50 billion per year on corrections activities; however, rehabilitation and reentry services are not always prioritized in funding decisions. This falls short of setting people who are incarcerated up for success upon reentry into their communities. In collaboration with all other state cabinet agencies, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction has created a proactive strategic plan that includes cross-agency goals, objectives and strategies to meet the needs of individuals who are reentering their communities Goal one of the strategic plan seeks to improve economic mobility of formerly incarcerated people by increasing resources, education, and employment opportunities pre- and post-release.
Almost all people who are incarcerated will return to their communities after serving their prison sentences. However, many find themselves back in prison within three to five years. Education is one of the most effective interventions for reducing recidivism. Nationally, the literacy rates of incarcerated people are far below those of people who have not been incarcerated. In fact, North Carolina data demonstrated that almost one-third of all people who are incarcerated read below a sixth-grade level. North Carolina has a mandatory education policy that requires students who do not have a high school diploma/equivalency to enroll in high school equivalency programming for a minimum of six months. Additionally, we are partnering with various entities, including the NC Community College Systems Office, NC Department of Commerce, and the NC Workforce Credential Advisory Council to increase workforce and degree credentials available to the incarcerated population.
Incarcerated people who participate in prison education programs are 43% less likely to return to prison than those who do not participate. E.O. 303 mandated ten directives for education, which, when coupled with the reauthorization of Pell Grants for people who are incarcerated, comes at an opportune time. As part of the strategic plan, the state has created an education and a prison education consortium to “develop local, labor market-driven educational pathways that will guide course offerings and transferable pathways to complete a diploma, degree, or credential.” So far, this collaboration includes the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Belk Foundation, Jobs for the Future, Formally Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN) and prison education providers, to name a few. These efforts seek to increase economic mobility for the incarcerated population through education and employment training.
Strategic alignment in state government, as demonstrated by North Carolina’s Executive Order, is critical to reaching goals but can only be achieved through collaboration and the elimination of silos. Through collaboration with various partners, NC demonstrated nearly quadruple the number of education program completions in 2023-2024 over the previous three-year average. Further, the education subcommittee is actively working to reduce barriers and create new partnerships to increase industry recognized credentials available in state prisons.
These intentional collaboration between agencies and shared goals are guiding North Carolina toward drastically improved education pathways for individuals impacted by the justice system. No matter your political beliefs, it is in the best interest of communities around the country to educate and assist people who are incarcerated through successful reentry. This can take the form of supporting education, rehabilitative and employment opportunities for people who are formerly incarcerated. When our neighbors are safe and successful, our neighborhoods and our families are safer and more successful.
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Originally published as Aligning Initiatives for Collaborative Education and Reentry Efforts in North Carolina - Education Commission of the States on the Education Commission of the States' website, Nov. 11, 2024.