HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 03-17-2026; 8-b - Second Chance Month Proclamation 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 17, 2026
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-b
SUBJECT: Second Chance Month Proclamation
DEPARTMENT: Criminal Justice Resource
(CJRD)
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Proclamation Danielle Carman, CJRD Director,
919-245-2722
PURPOSE: To approve a proclamation recognizing April 2026 as Second Chance Month and
honoring Orange County's reentering residents and the people and groups who support them.
BACKGROUND: Approximately 18,000 people return to North Carolina communities after
incarceration in state prisons annually, with a significant number returning to Orange County.
Reentry challenges are high, including the large percentage of reentering individuals who live
unsheltered and who face barriers with respect to education, professional licensing, employment,
public benefits, and civic rights. This proclamation recognizes those challenges, as well as the
critical work that is being done in the State and the County to address them.
During April 2026, in honor of Second Chance Month, the Orange County Local Reentry Council
will partner with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on a basic
needs drive to provide hygiene materials to 100 individuals returning to Orange County after
incarceration; and will host a reentry panel discussion titled "Restoring More Than a License:
Rebuilding Lives After Incarceration" for court system partners and community members, as well
as a transformational writing workshop for returning residents to write about the lessons they
would share with their younger selves.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with consideration of this
proclamation.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports:
• GOAL 2: HEALTHY COMMUNITY
OBJECTIVE 4: Reduce impacts and barriers for justice-involved children and adults
through deflection, diversion, therapeutic interventions, and re-entry support, including
housing.
• VISION STATEMENT: We are a diverse, inclusive, and healthy county working together
to strengthen our community and enhance the quality of life for all residents.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve and authorize the
Chair to sign the proclamation.
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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROCLAMATION
SECOND CHANCE MONTH - APRIL 2026
WHEREAS, Second Chance Month was first recognized in 2017 as a bipartisan resolution from
the United States Senate and has since grown into a national movement with support from agencies
and advocates across the country; and
WHEREAS, the goal of Second Chance Month is to raise awareness of the direct and collateral
consequences of criminal convictions and to promote second chances for people who have
completed their sentences; and
WHEREAS, one in three American adults has been convicted of a criminal offense and
approximately 95 percent of all people in prison will eventually be released from incarceration and
return to their communities and families; and
WHEREAS, a criminal record has profound and lasting impacts on our returning community
members' access to education, professional licensing, employment, housing, public benefits, and
civic rights; and
WHEREAS,North Carolina,under the leadership of former Governor Roy Cooper and Governor
Josh Stein,has embarked on a transformational whole-of-government approach to improve reentry
services in the state by bridging service gaps and coordinating innovative reentry initiatives, as
exemplified by the Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan; and
WHEREAS, Orange County and its Local Reentry Council are leaders in this pivotal work,
bringing together local government and business leaders, reentry professionals, treatment
providers, advocates, and others to provide needed services,reduce stigma, and promote increased
opportunities for successful reentry; and
WHEREAS, during April 2026, the Orange County Local Reentry Council will partner with the
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on a basic needs drive to
provide hygiene materials to 100 individuals returning to Orange County after incarceration; and
will host a reentry panel discussion titled"Restoring More Than a License: Rebuilding Lives After
Incarceration" for court system partners and community members, as well as a transformational
writing workshop for returning residents to write about the lessons they would share with their
younger selves;
NOW THEREFORE, we,the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim April
2026 as Second Chance Month in Orange County, as a time to honor the efforts of our reentering
residents and their families, as well as the professionals and community members who support
them.
This the 17th day of March, 2026.
Jean Hamilton, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners