The Wayne County Reentry Council, in partnership with OurJourney and the Goldsboro Police Department, will hold a reentry simulation at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Goldsboro Event Center.
Attendees will receive firsthand experience navigating the challenges of the formerly incarcerated as they reenter society.
“We know that it’s really hard for many individuals once they get out of prison. But we really don’t know what they have to do,” said WCC Vice President of Workforce Continuing Education Services and Community Engagement Renita Dawson.
Participants will visit simulated community organizations and explore the process of being released from prison and trying to find things like food and shelter without transportation, a job, or a support system.
“It’s an opportunity to educate our community about some of the things that we’re doing that might not be so helpful to our neighbors,” Dawson said.
“As we try to help our local businesses and industries to fill their needs, sometimes we’re not thinking about these individuals who have been incarcerated—many have degrees, many have transferable skills that are needed on these jobs, and we could use them. But the systems that we have in place make it difficult for them to get to that end goal,” she continued.
Dawson hopes the reentry simulation will inspire others to help remove some of these barriers.
“Our hope is that by having community members and leaders go through the simulation, we will self-reflect on some of the processes that we have and see how we can make some changes,” said Dawson.
The Wayne County Reentry Council partners with several organizations and agencies to provide resources for individuals who were released from prison, regardless of how long ago they were released. Resources may include educational training and job-search assistance, mental health support, food, and shelter.
Wayne Community College serves as the intermediary agency for the Wayne County Reentry Council.
The reentry simulation is free, but attendance is limited, and registration is required.
To register for this event, visit waynecc.edu/reentrysimulation.
To learn more about the Wayne County Reentry Council or to fill out a reentry intake form, visit waynecc.edu/reentry.
For more information, contact Dawson at 919-739-6980 or rddawson@waynecc.edu.
About Wayne Community College
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 11,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 240 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.