Governor Josh Stein, First Lady Anna Stein, and members of the Governor’s Cabinet took part in a reentry simulation on Monday organized by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC). The event aimed to show the difficulties faced by individuals returning to society after incarceration.
“Strengthening reentry support in North Carolina is both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Far too often, when people leave incarceration, they find door after door closed to them when we should be opening doors of opportunity for them. Anna and I are grateful for this experience to learn firsthand the struggles that people leaving incarceration face.”
First Lady Anna Stein also spoke about her involvement with reentry efforts. “Removing barriers to reintegration for incarcerated people is something I’m proud to work on as a member of the Joint Reentry Council,” she said. “Those barriers include difficulty finding housing and transportation, or getting an ID. Today’s simulation offers us a look into what those barriers are like, so we can better collaborate across all state agencies to make sure our incarcerated population has the best chance at successful reentry for the long term.”
The exercise simulated four weeks of life after release from prison. Participants were assigned fictional identities and went through stations representing real-world institutions such as the DMV, court system, probation office, bank, employers, housing providers, transportation services, social service agencies, and others.
The NCDAC Division of Rehabilitation and Reentry organized the event with a goal of helping leaders understand how returning citizens face challenges in securing employment, housing, identification documents, transportation options, and complying with community supervision requirements.
“Reentry simulations give participants a firsthand look at the challenges and difficulties folks face when they leave our custody,” said Leslie Dismukes, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Adult Correction. “This understanding is critical to helping us build and fund better systems and processes for successful reentry into our communities. I’m thankful for the support the Governor, First Lady, and cabinet secretaries have shown toward rehabilitation and reentry efforts of our department and across state government.”
Deputy Secretary George Pettigrew commented on leadership participation: “It is inspiring to see the Governor, First Lady, and other state leaders taking the time to participate in today’s reentry simulation,” he said. “When more people understand the challenges people face as they transition from incarceration back into the community, support grows for rehabilitation and reentry programs and services.”
North Carolina is advancing a comprehensive approach to improving reentry outcomes through initiatives like its Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan. More information about this initiative can be found here.
