RALEIGH - As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to strengthening the criminal justice system, the Department of Justice designated the week of April 24-30, 2016, as National Reentry Week. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro traveled to Philadelphia yesterday, to hold events as part of National Reentry Week with public housing advocates, legal services providers and community leaders where they announced new efforts to improve outcomes for justice-involved individuals including youth.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina (USAO-EDNC) will host a Reentry and Crime Prevention Conference on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Auditorium located at 3320 Garner Road, Raleigh 27610. The press is invited to attend the conference beginning at 1:00 p.m. A variety of speakers will present at the conference representing USAO-EDNC’s partnerships with federal, state and local agencies on topics such as the judicial perspective on reentry and crime prevention; the reentry efforts at the Federal Bureau of Prisons in preparing individuals before they are released from federal incarceration; the state of North Carolina’s reentry efforts; and a panel discussion by members of the Capital Area Reentry Council.
“Too often, justice-involved individuals who have paid their debt to society confront daunting obstacles to good jobs, decent housing, adequate health care, quality education, and even the right to vote," said Attorney General Lynch. “National Reentry Week highlights the many ways that the Department of Justice - and the entire Obama Administration - is working to tear down the barriers that stand between returning citizens and a meaningful second chance - leading to brighter futures, stronger communities, and a more just and equal nation for all."
The Obama Administration has taken major steps to make our criminal justice system fairer, more efficient and more effective at reducing recidivism and helping formerly incarcerated individuals contribute to their communities. Removing barriers to successful reentry helps formerly incarcerated individuals compete for jobs, attain stable housing, and support their families. An important part of that commitment is preparing those who have paid their debt to society for substantive opportunities beyond the prison gates, and addressing collateral consequences to successful reentry that too many returning citizens encounter.
EDNC Acting United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce stated: “Our office is committed to helping formerly incarcerated citizens who are returning to their communities. Our goal is to help them become productive, law-abiding citizens and help break the cycle of recidivism."
National Reentry Week events are being planned in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. U.S. Attorney’s Offices alone are hosting over 200 events and BOP facilities are holding over 370 events.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information please e-mail Don Connelly at usance.PublicInfoOfficer@usdoj.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
