PRO-2026-010-Second Chance Month

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Aoa(o� o ► ® ; b % 51 \1 � a � ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROCLAMATION SECOND CHANCE MONTH - APRIL 2026 WHEREAS , Second Chance Month was first recognized in 2017 as a bipartisan resolution from the United States Senate and has since grown into a national movement with support from agencies and advocates across the country ; and WHEREAS , the goal of Second Chance Month is to raise awareness of the direct and collateral consequences of criminal convictions and to promote second chances for people who have completed their sentences ; and WHEREAS , one in three American adults has been convicted of a criminal offense and approximately 95 percent of all people in prison will eventually be released from incarceration and return to their communities and families ; and WHEREAS , a criminal record has profound and lasting impacts on our returning community members ' access to education, professional licensing , employment, housing, public benefits , and civic rights ; and WHEREAS , North Carolina, under the leadership of former Governor Roy Cooper and Governor Josh Stein, has embarked on a transformational whole-of-government approach to improve reentry services in the state by bridging service gaps and coordinating innovative reentry initiatives, as exemplified by the Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan ; and WHEREAS , Orange County and its Local Reentry Council are leaders in this pivotal work, bringing together local government and business leaders , reentry professionals, treatment providers , advocates , and others to provide needed services, reduce stigma, and promote increased opportunities for successful reentry ; and WHEREAS , during April 2026 , the Orange County Local Reentry Council will partner with the Chapel Hill- Carrboro Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority , Inc . on a basic needs drive to provide hygiene materials to 100 individuals returning to Orange County after incarceration; and will host a reentry panel discussion titled "Restoring More Than a License : Rebuilding Lives After Incarceration" for court system partners and community members , as well as a transformational writing workshop for returning residents to write about the lessons they would share with their younger selves ; NOW THEREFORE, we , the Orange County Board of Commissioners , do hereby proclaim April 2026 as Second Chance Month in Orange County , as a time to honor the efforts of our reentering residents and their families , as well as the professionals and community members who support them . This the 17t" day of March, 2026 . �sp� � * af� f * n Hamilton, Chair 17 52 range County Board of Commissioners *art ft ht �to�.