By Bob Shiles
The Robesonian
LUMBERTON — The state has boosted its funding of the Southeastern Regional Re-entry Council, which provides services to former prison inmates from Robeson, Scotland and Hoke counties.
According to state Rep. Charles Graham, the state Department of Public Safety has increased the council’s budget this fiscal year by $184,223, bringing its total budget to $412,703.
The council, which helps former inmates find jobs and educational opportunities, has been in existence since 2013. It currently employs two full-time workers to help the former inmates with issues related to jobs, education, Social Security, mental health, food stamps, utilities, transportation and housing.
“This is a good program which I strongly support,” said Graham, a member of the House Justice and Public Safety Appropriations Committee. “This is good use of taxpayers dollars. I would rather see the money used this way than to have to create more beds to provide for these individuals in prison.”
Graham said that if the former inmates don’t receive assistance they need to transfer back from a prison environment to their community, many will end up back in prison being supported by tax dollars The same situations that led to them being in prison in the first place may arise again, Graham said.
“We have to make sure that those returning to the community get the support they need. Many of these individuals when released have no housing, job nor family support, " he said. “The state has to help these individuals become whole again.”
On Tuesday, the council is sponsoring its seventh job fair since late May, all of which have drawn more than 200 job seekers. A fair last month in Lumberton drew more than 400 and more than 330 left the event with promises of employment.
Tuesday’s job fair is being held from 9 a.m. to 2 p. at the Bill Sapp Center in Lumberton.
David Powell, the director of Robeson County’s Offender Resource Department, oversees the three-county re-entry program. He said that the program currently has 1,143 enrolled participants and continues to grow.
“There’s a lot of need for our services,” he said.
Powell said that the Southeastern Regional Re-entry Program is one of five pilot projects in the state, all of which he said have been successful. However, state funding will probably eventually end and the program will have to be funded by individual counties or identify another funding source.
“They (state officials) have told us up front that funding won’t be indefinite,” Powell said.
Powell said that the Robeson County Board of Commissioners has been supportive of the program, having allocated $10,000 in the county’s current fiscal year budget.
Hoke and Scotland counties have not yet pledged any financial support for the council’s services, Powell said. He said he hopes those two counties will eventually “be on board” with the program.
Graham said that he fought hard during state budget negotiations to ensure continued state funding for the re-entry initiative.
“I fought hard in the budget negotiations to have this program expanded,” Graham said. “I feel that it has been quite effective and that it has helped a great many individuals to regain useful, productive lives following incarceration and displacement from jobs.
Copyright 2015 The Robesonian