Author: Maggie Bizzell, Office of the First Lady
Today, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes announced First Lady Anna Stein’s appointment to the North Carolina Joint Reentry Council.
The Joint Reentry Council coordinates efforts to improve the rehabilitation and reentry of people returning to their communities after serving a sentence in prison or jail.
“I’m very excited to appoint the First Lady to the Joint Reentry Council and look forward to the knowledge, enthusiasm and visibility she will bring to the work of the council,” said Secretary Dismukes.
“I am honored that Secretary Dismukes appointed me to the Joint Reentry Council,” said First Lady Stein. “Our state’s most valuable resource is its people, and I am eager to continue the critical work the council is doing to improve rehabilitation and reentry for incarcerated individuals in our state.”
Rehabilitation and reentry support is one of three areas First Lady Stein seeks to address during her tenure. The First Lady is also working to reduce stigma surrounding substance use and mental health disorders by holding open dialogues with state and local leaders and raising awareness of treatment and recovery services across the state. She is partnering with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and other state and local agencies in this mission. Lastly, the First Lady is promoting and supporting North Carolina’s rural tourism industry by showcasing the state’s unique natural and cultural resources.
The Joint Reentry Council was formed in early 2024 to coordinate the efforts of all North Carolina cabinet agencies working on issues related to reentry and to support Reentry 2030, a national initiative coordinated by the Council of State Governments that aims to dramatically improve reentry success for people exiting prison and for those under community supervision.
Read the NCDAC Secretary's Letter of Appointment for First Lady Anna Stein here.
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