RALEIGH - The Department of Justice designated the week of April 24-28, 2017 as National Reentry Week. National Reentry Week, which was first observed in April 2016, is a week designed to highlight the efforts to assist formerly incarcerated individuals as they successfully return to and contribute to their communities. National Reentry Week seeks to promote a reduction in recidivism through the elimination of barriers to successful reentry as formerly incarcerated individuals compete for jobs, obtain stable housing, and seek to support for their families.
Prior to and during National Reentry Week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina (USAO-EDNC) has participated in several recent events.
On March 29, 2017, USAO-EDNC hosted a Reentry Council Networking Forum where USAO-EDNC’s federal, state, and local partners gathered to share and discuss innovative ways to address barriers and service gaps that impact the success of formerly incarcerated individuals. Also, USAO-EDNC hosted a Focused Deterrence Call-In Forum whereby law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies from across the District gathered to learn about focused deterrence call-ins and how they can be utilized to decrease the recidivism rate and create safer communities.
On April 18, 2017, USAO-EDNC hosted a group of middle school students from Pitt County Sheriff’s Office’s Youth Program. Students learned about avoiding violence and gang activity by making good decisions. Several speakers shared statistics and real life examples to help the youth understand the consequences of making bad choices. In addition, students were provided with a guided tour of the federal building, featuring United States Marshal’s Offices and a federal courtroom.
As part of National Reentry Week, USAO-EDNC will join with other agencies to address reentry topics. On April 25th, USAO-EDNC joined with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for the Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina, the United States Probation Office, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, and the North Carolina Network for Safe Communities, in a joint meeting to discuss ways in which the federal districts and state agencies can collectively support the ongoing reentry work across the state. Today, USAO-EDNC is partnering with the Reentry Affairs Division of the Bureau of Prisons in Butner for two resource fairs, which will assist current inmates in preparing for their return to society at the end their incarceration.
National Reentry Week events are being planned in and across the United States. Various U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Bureau of Prison facilities are holding similar events.
EDNC U.S Attorney John Stuart Bruce stated: “The U.S. Department of Justice and our office are determined to reverse recent trends by reducing violent crime and illegal drug trafficking, which plague our communities. Reducing recidivism with effective reentry programs is an important part of this effort."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
