(RALEIGH) Today, Governor Stein joined the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, elected officials, law enforcement, and advocates at the North Carolina Rehabilitation and Reentry Conference to reaffirm North Carolina’s commitment to enhancing reentry processes to promote public safety, reduce recidivism, and improve outcomes. He also expressed his appreciation that First Lady Anna Stein, who has prioritized reentry as one of her key issues, will serve on the Joint Reentry Council.
“We all benefit when every North Carolinian is able to contribute to our state to the best of their ability,” said Governor Josh Stein. “People leaving incarceration are much more likely to stay on the right path if they are set up for success and get a job. I am committed to continuing our state’s work to improve job training and expand health care access for people leaving incarceration, so that we can all live in safer and stronger neighborhoods.”
“We are thankful for the work of hundreds of partners attending this week’s reentry conference,” said North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes. “These are people working daily to help those leaving prison with needs like housing, employment, treatment, transportation and other assistance needed to be successful after incarceration. NCDAC employees are hard at work to ensure safe communities for every North Carolinian.”
Governor Stein is committed to equipping formerly incarcerated people with the tools they need to thrive with their second chance. As Attorney General, he furthered State Reentry Council Collaborative with the Department of Public Safety since its inception and signed on to Reentry 2030, a national commitment to reform how individuals successfully return to their communities post-incarceration.
Governor Stein’s proposed 2025-2027 budget includes funding for people to participate in education programs while incarcerated, which makes them less likely to return to prison, and includes raises for corrections officers to address staffing shortages. Governor Stein is also committed to connecting reentrants with physical and mental health care before they exit, including enrolling all eligible individuals in Medicaid. These investments make North Carolina communities safer by improving outcomes and reducing the likelihood of recidivism.