Second Chance Month raises awareness of the collateral consequences of a criminal record and promotes access to opportunity for justice-involved individuals.
Additionally, a Second Chance Town Hall event will be held Thursday, April 16, from 3–5 p.m. in the Gertrude Weil Auditorium of the Wayne County Public Library. Attendees will review local reentry data, discuss employment incentives for hiring individuals with criminal records, and hear from those transitioning back into the community.
The town hall meeting will also feature guest speakers Terry Ruffin, case manager with Pathway Home 5 of OIC Wilson, and Treva Brewington, reentry analyst with the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission.
These events are free and open to the public to attend.
The Reentry Council partners with several organizations and agencies to provide resources for formerly incarcerated individuals. Resources may include educational training, job-search assistance, food, transportation, and shelter.
The council aims to help individuals make a successful transition back into society and reduce recidivism.
Wayne Community College serves as the intermediary agency for the Wayne County Reentry Council.
“The Wayne County Reentry Council is dedicated to creating a successful pathway to reentry for individuals returning to our community, recognizing that approximately 95% of people in prison will eventually return home to their communities,” said WCC Vice President of Workforce Continuing Education Services and Community Engagement Renita Dawson.
“Our goal is to make the transition back into society as successful as possible, and Second Chance Month serves as a critical spotlight on the moral, economic, and social importance of providing this support,” Dawson said.
Learn more about the Wayne County Reentry Council on WCC’s website.
