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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: March 17, 2026 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-b <br /> SUBJECT: Second Chance Month Proclamation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Criminal Justice Resource <br /> (CJRD) <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Proclamation Danielle Carman, CJRD Director, <br /> 919-245-2722 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve a proclamation recognizing April 2026 as Second Chance Month and <br /> honoring Orange County's reentering residents and the people and groups who support them. <br /> BACKGROUND: Approximately 18,000 people return to North Carolina communities after <br /> incarceration in state prisons annually, with a significant number returning to Orange County. <br /> Reentry challenges are high, including the large percentage of reentering individuals who live <br /> unsheltered and who face barriers with respect to education, professional licensing, employment, <br /> public benefits, and civic rights. This proclamation recognizes those challenges, as well as the <br /> critical work that is being done in the State and the County to address them. <br /> During April 2026, in honor of Second Chance Month, the Orange County Local Reentry Council <br /> will partner with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on a basic <br /> needs drive to provide hygiene materials to 100 individuals returning to Orange County after <br /> incarceration; and will host a reentry panel discussion titled "Restoring More Than a License: <br /> Rebuilding Lives After Incarceration" for court system partners and community members, as well <br /> as a transformational writing workshop for returning residents to write about the lessons they <br /> would share with their younger selves. <br /> FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with consideration of this <br /> proclamation. <br /> ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports: <br /> • GOAL 2: HEALTHY COMMUNITY <br /> OBJECTIVE 4: Reduce impacts and barriers for justice-involved children and adults <br /> through deflection, diversion, therapeutic interventions, and re-entry support, including <br /> housing. <br /> • VISION STATEMENT: We are a diverse, inclusive, and healthy county working together <br /> to strengthen our community and enhance the quality of life for all residents. <br /> RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve and authorize the <br /> Chair to sign the proclamation. <br />