The 98% - Life After Prison
This podcast is dedicated to the 98% of people incarcerated in North Carolina who will eventually be released from prison back into their communities, often with few, if any resources. Through the voices of people in transition and those who support them, we explore hurdles and life long barriers many justice-involved people confront whether getting a drivers license, finding housing, or trying to find a job. We examine issues like substance use disorder and mental health that plague this population and ask what we as a society can do to support the formerly incarcerated and reduce recidivism.
In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.
ART WORK BY JOHN HARDIN
The 98% - Life After Prison
Reentry 2030: Changing How We Approach Incarceration
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In 2024, North Carolina signed on to an ambitious national initiative to reduce recidivism and break the ongoing cycle of incarceration. Reentry 2030 brings together people across all sectors of government to work collaboratively with community leaders and people with lived-experience to lower the barriers to housing, healthcare and employment.
George Pettigrew serves as the Deputy Secretary for Rehabilitation and Reentry in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction and as such, oversees the Department’s Reentry 2030 Initiative. In our interview with him, we learn how Reentry 2030 is organized, who is actively participating, what their goals are, and how George Pettigrew views the opportunities and challenges moving forward. (Below are links to information about North Carolina’s participation in Reentry 2030.)
https://reentry2030.org/state-north-carolina/
https://www.dac.nc.gov/divisions-and-sections/rehabilitation-and-reentry/reentry-2030
In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.