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Charlotte nonprofits seeking solutions to prevent reincarceration

One of the programs offered by the Center for Community Transitions has only a 7% recidivism rate after one year.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden introduces R(I)GNITE, a new education program to help people re-enter society once they're released from the detention center, the program will join other established nonprofits that are seeking solutions to reduce the recidivism rate.

The Center for Community Transitions (CCT) is a Charlotte-based nonprofit that helps people who are recently incarcerated, or "justice-involved," remain out of the justice system.

One of their programs is "LifeWorks!," which helps people, who are justice-involved, find jobs and coaches them to become economically and socially stable.

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CCT's most recent data said of the 329 people who participated, 93% did not get arrested after a year, and 82% found employment.

"We actually just had a resident released today from here! She just pulled off!" Patrice Funderburg, CCT's executive director said. "She's staying local so I told her I'm coming to see her at her job."

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She said CCT's also working to reduce the stigma of hiring people who are justice-involved.

"Educating the business community, particularly larger businesses, about the benefits from a financial standpoint, as well as a productivity and a retention standpoint, of hiring people from untapped talent pools," Funderburg said.

Traletta Banks previously interned at CCT and now volunteers at the Reentry Housing Alliance (RHA), which advocates for changes to housing policies that’ll benefit people with records.

"I have been arrested, and I have a criminal record," Banks said. "I've had to navigate through these muddy waters of finding housing with a criminal record, with children."

She said people with records need roofs over their heads to be successful, and landlords can provide those safe spaces.

"We need you to consider a person's humanity and their family," Banks said, appealing to landlords. "You want safer neighborhoods and safer communities, they need a place to live."  

Both RHA and CCT said they welcomed the addition of the sheriff's R(I)gnite program to prevent more people from being reincarcerated.

Contact Brandon Golder at bgoldner@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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