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2 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> PROCLAMATION <br /> SECOND CHANCE MONTH - APRIL 2026 <br /> WHEREAS, Second Chance Month was first recognized in 2017 as a bipartisan resolution from <br /> the United States Senate and has since grown into a national movement with support from agencies <br /> and advocates across the country; and <br /> WHEREAS, the goal of Second Chance Month is to raise awareness of the direct and collateral <br /> consequences of criminal convictions and to promote second chances for people who have <br /> completed their sentences; and <br /> WHEREAS, one in three American adults has been convicted of a criminal offense and <br /> approximately 95 percent of all people in prison will eventually be released from incarceration and <br /> return to their communities and families; and <br /> WHEREAS, a criminal record has profound and lasting impacts on our returning community <br /> members' access to education, professional licensing, employment, housing, public benefits, and <br /> civic rights; and <br /> WHEREAS,North Carolina,under the leadership of former Governor Roy Cooper and Governor <br /> Josh Stein,has embarked on a transformational whole-of-government approach to improve reentry <br /> services in the state by bridging service gaps and coordinating innovative reentry initiatives, as <br /> exemplified by the Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan; and <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County and its Local Reentry Council are leaders in this pivotal work, <br /> bringing together local government and business leaders, reentry professionals, treatment <br /> providers, advocates, and others to provide needed services,reduce stigma, and promote increased <br /> opportunities for successful reentry; and <br /> WHEREAS, during April 2026, the Orange County Local Reentry Council will partner with the <br /> Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on a basic needs drive to <br /> provide hygiene materials to 100 individuals returning to Orange County after incarceration; and <br /> will host a reentry panel discussion titled"Restoring More Than a License: Rebuilding Lives After <br /> Incarceration" for court system partners and community members, as well as a transformational <br /> writing workshop for returning residents to write about the lessons they would share with their <br /> younger selves; <br /> NOW THEREFORE, we,the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim April <br /> 2026 as Second Chance Month in Orange County, as a time to honor the efforts of our reentering <br /> residents and their families, as well as the professionals and community members who support <br /> them. <br /> This the 17th day of March, 2026. <br /> Jean Hamilton, Chair <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />