Governor Cooper Issues Historic Executive Order Directing Whole-of-Government Coordination to Improve Reentry for Formerly Incarcerated People in North Carolina

Photo provided.

PRESS RELEASE (01-29-2024)

NC GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

Today, Governor Cooper issued Executive Order No. 303 directing whole-of-government coordination to improve reentry for formerly incarcerated people in the most significant effort targeted at strengthening reentry in state history. The Order aims to improve rehabilitation and reentry services for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in North Carolina through specific directives developed in partnership with each cabinet agency, the Office of State Human Resources and the Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission. This Executive Order builds on the existing mission of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (DAC) while unifying state agencies under the shared goal of improving reentry services.

“Strengthening reentry services for formerly incarcerated people is both the right and smart thing to do,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Employers are looking for new and skilled workers while many formerly incarcerated people are eager to change their lives, get a job and join their communities. This Executive Order directs a whole-of-government approach to improve reentry services, strengthen our economy, make communities safer and give people the second chance they deserve.”

“The NC Department of Adult Correction believes that rehabilitation and reentry begin on day one of our custody of a person, whether they are incarcerated in a state facility or are on community supervision” said Department of Adult Correction Secretary Todd Ishee. “We are committed to expanding and improving our services around rehabilitation, reentry, and prison education, including job skills training and preparation. This bold Executive Order charts a new path for us to collaborate with all state agencies to address the needs of justice-involved people in every space.”

“After I was released from prison, I worked hard to give myself a fresh start, and ever since, I’ve given back by helping other justice-involved people get their feet under them,” said Greg Singleton, Dean of Programs, Workforce & Continuing Education at Central Carolina Community College and founder of the Craven Pamlico Re-Entry Council. “This historic Executive Order will be transformational in our efforts to reduce recidivism in North Carolina. Thanks to Governor Cooper’s leadership, North Carolina is positioned to change many lives for the better.”

“Sharing the gospel and seeing its impact on others has been my lifelong passion,” said Joe Gibbs, NFL Pro Hall of Fame Coach, NASCAR team owner and founder of Game Plan for Life, a nonprofit whose Field Minister Program provides a free, four-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Pastoral Ministry and trains incarcerated people to be influential leaders within their own faith tradition. “I commend Governor Cooper for giving people a second chance and for his ongoing leadership on this issue.”

As part of the Executive Order, North Carolina is joining Reentry2030, a national initiative that aims to dramatically improve reentry success for people exiting prison and those under supervision. In joining Reentry2030, the state has outlined several metrics which it is committing to achieving by 2030:

• Increasing the number of high school and post-secondary credentials earned by incarcerated individuals by 75%.
• Reducing the number of incarcerated individuals who are homeless upon release by 50%.
• Providing reentry assistance to previously incarcerated people in every county in the state through Local Reentry Councils.
• Increasing the number of post-secondary degrees offered in facilities by 25%.
• Increasing the number of Pell Grant partners by 30%.
• Ensuring all eligible incarcerated individuals are offered the opportunity to apply for Medicaid before release.
• Increasing the number of apprenticeships completed by incarcerated individuals by 50%, and
• Increasing the number of second chance employer partners by 30%.

“As it launches Reentry 2030, we applaud North Carolina for its commitment to scale up reentry success and advance safety and second chances,” said Megan Quattlebaum, director of the CSG Justice Center. “Through Reentry 2030, we look forward to supporting state leaders with data and resources to address barriers and needs in their reentry systems and advance their vision of successful reintegration across North Carolina.”

“Thanks to the federal government’s reinstatement of Pell eligibility for incarcerated people, we are in the midst of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand educational programming in our correctional facilities,” said Department of Adult Correction Superintendent of Education Services Brooke Wheeler. “This Executive Order brings all education partners together to ensure we are providing educational services that lead to degrees, workforce credentials, and most importantly, employment.”

The Executive Order contains directives for each cabinet agency, the Office of State Human Resources (OSHR), and the Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission. These directives include:

• Increasing the number of second chance employers
• Increasing career services, pre-screening and informing incarcerated people of their eligibility for benefits, such as SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and more upon release
• Providing resources to educate incarcerated people on the process to obtain a driver’s license
• Providing opportunities to justice-involved veterans
• Improving opportunities involving education, family engagement, and transition services to youth in the juvenile justice system
• Increasing work release, apprenticeship, and employment opportunities for incarcerated or previously incarcerated people in state government
• Reviewing and improving Parole Commission processes around reentry and participation in the Mutual Agreement Parole Program (MAPP)
• Making resources available to allow incarcerated people to communicate with justice system partners to resolve outstanding legal issues

The Order also strengthens prison education by adding all prison higher education, apprenticeship, and workforce partners to the existing Prison Education Consortium, a group that advises DAC on prison education. The Order directs DAC to ensure, as much as possible, that prison education programs lead to labor market-driven degrees or credentials, establish quality measures and evaluation for all programs, increase utilization of newly-available Pell Grants, minimize when possible the movement of incarcerated people who are currently enrolled in programs, and more.

The Order also establishes a Joint Reentry Council comprised of representatives from each cabinet agency, OSHR, the Office of State Budget and Management, the Parole Commission, and the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. The Council is tasked with creating a Strategic Plan with measurable goals to improving reentry and with reporting on progress towards those metrics.

Read the Executive Order here.

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Governor Declares State of Emergency in Response to Ongoing Wildfires in Western North Carolina

Map by Bobby Coggins for Macon Media.

 

PRESS RELEASE (11-08-2023)

NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR

Today (November 8th), Governor Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency in response to the ongoing wildfires in Western North Carolina and the continued drought conditions throughout the state.

“I am grateful for the first responders who have jumped into action to help combat the ongoing wildfires in Western North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper. “The fires and the continued droughts across the state pose a risk to public health and safety and we want to ensure that all residents and their property remain safe and protected."

The Executive Order will coordinate and support emergency response operations among North Carolina entities and officials to ensure the protection and safety of North Carolina residents.

The emergency area is specified to encompass Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties as well as tribal lands in the State of North Carolina held by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

“The current wildfires, combined with the ongoing drought and weather forecast have increased our risk for additional fire activity, especially in the western part of our state. This emergency declaration will help facilitate getting the needed resources to combat these wildfires, to save lives and property, and to support our local jurisdictions and agencies, as well as state partners who are engaged in fighting these fires.” said Will Ray, Director of North Carolina Emergency Management. “We are incredibly proud of the North Carolina Forest Service, local fire departments, and the US Forest Service who have stepped up to combat these fires and protect our state.”

Executive Order No. 293 follows:

ROY COOPER GOVERNOR November S. 2023 

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 293 

DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO EXISTING AND POTENTIAL WILDFIRES 

WHEREAS, since 25 October 2023 there have been multiple active wildfires in western North Carolina in addition to active wildfires in the Commonwealth of Virginia near the North Carolina border; and 

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council in its 2 November 2023 assessment observed severe drought in the southern mountains and moderate drought in the Piedmont regions of North Carolina with potential worsening conditions; and WHEREAS, due to the hazardous wildfire conditions, the North Carolina Forest Service has cancelled all burning permits and implemented an open burning ban in thirty (30) counties, and several counties have issued local burning bans or a local state of emergency; and WHEREAS, the wildfires combined with the severe and moderate drought conditions could have a significant impact on public health, public safety and to public and private property in the State of North Carolina; and 

WHEREAS, the current and anticipated impacts from the multiple wildfires combined with the severe and moderate drought conditions constitute a state of emergency as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 166A-19.3(6); and 

WHEREAS, certain measures are necessary to ensure the protection and safety of North Carolina residents and to coordinate the emergency response among state and local entities and officials; and 

WHEREAS, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 166A-19.1(3) provides that it is the responsibility of the undersigned, state agencies, and local governments to "provide for the rapid and orderly rehabilitation of persons and restoration of property"; and 

WHEREAS, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 166A-19.1(4) provides that it is the responsibility of the undersigned, state agencies, and local governments to "provide for cooperation and coordination of activities relating to emergency mitigation preparedness, response, and recovery among agencies and officials of this state and with similar agencies and officials of other states and with other private and quasi-official organizations"; and 

WHEREAS, N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 166A-19.10 and 166A-19.20 authorize the undersigned to declare a state of emergency and exercise the powers and duties set forth therein to direct and aid in the response to, recovery from. and mitigation against emergencies; and 

WHEREAS, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 166A-19.10(3) authorizes the undersigned to delegate any gubernatorial authority vested in him under the Emergency Management Act, and to provide for the subdelegation of that authority. 

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me as Governor by the Constitution and the laws of the State of North Carolina, IT IS ORDERED: 

Section 1. 

I hereby declare that a state of emergency, as determined by N C Gen Stat §§ 166A.19.3(6). exists in the counties and tribal lands listed below listed below, due to current and anticipated impacts from multiple wildfires in addition to the severe and moderate drought conditions which has increased the risk of hazardous wildfires. 

For purposes of this Executive Order, the emergency area is the following counties: Alexander. Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Carrubus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, lredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Swain, Transylania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey. as well as tribal lands in the State of North Candied held by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. ("the Emergency Area").

 

Section 2. 

I order all sane and local government entities and agencies to cooperate in the implementation of the provisions of this declaration and the provisions of the North Carolina Emergency Operations Plan ("the Plan").

 

I delegate to Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr., the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety ("DPS"), or his designee, all power and authority granted to and required of me In Article 1A of Chapter I64A of the North Carolina General Statutes for the purpose of implementing the Plan and deploying the State Emergency Response Team to take the appropriate actions necessary to promote and secure the safety and protection of the populace in North Carolina. 

Secretary Buffaloe, as Chief Coordinating Officer for the State of North Carolina, shall exercise the powers prescribed in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-602. 

Section 3.

I further direct Secretary Buffalo. or his designee. to seek assistance from any and all agencies of the United States Government as may be needed to meet the emergency and to seek reimbursement for costs incurred by the state in responding to this emergency. 

Section 4. 

This Executive Order does not prohibit or restrict lawfully possessed firearms or ammunition or impose any limitation on the consumption, transportation, sale, or purchase of alcoholic beverages.

 

Section 5. 

 

Pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 166A-19.23, this declaration triggers the prohibition against excessive pricing as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 75-37 and 75-38 in the Emergency Area. 

Section 6. 

This Executive Order is effective immediately and shall remain in effect for at least thirty (30) days. unless earlier terminated or extended.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF. I have hereunto signed my name and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in the City of Raleigh. this 8th day of November in the year of our Lorrd two thousand and twenty-three.

Roy Cooper

Governor 

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