Shaw University highly regarded for recidivism-reduction role

RALEIGH — Community engagement is critical when it comes to preventing formerly imprisoned people from returning to the walls of confinement. That was the prevailing message during Tuesday’s public meeting of the Joint Reentry Council of the N.C. Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) in Shaw University’s Estey Hall.

Shaw University President Paulette R. Dillard set the tone before the meeting started.

“There are pathways to reduce recidivism for incarcerated individuals, and we want to be a part of that,” she said.

One of those pathways is higher education, Dillard said.

Shaw University, in fact, has been involved in reentry work since the 1980s, said Vanessa Raynor Moone, SLP.D., the dean of academic support at the school.

Danny Hampton is executive director of Freedom Life, which supports justice-involved individuals and their families through transition programs. He emphasized the importance of overcoming the community stigma associated with formerly incarcerated individuals.

Short- and long-term transitional housing for justice-involved individuals is an issue in rural communities, but solutions are in process, Hampton said.

Ontario Joyner, a local reentry council coordinator for Durham County, said one-off fixes aren’t the answer. Solutions have to be sustainable. His work against recidivism includes mitigating underlying factors that can make the difference in whether people returning to the mainstream not only land jobs and housing but also keep them. A hygiene kit and a business suit, for example, help with that.

“We understand that first appearances mean a lot,” Joyner said.

Something as simple as underwear isn’t so simple when someone doesn’t have any; a belt is a big deal when a person’s pants have been held up with a piece of string, said Joyner, driving home the point that little things like that can impact the mindset it takes to stay on the right path.

Joyner even has systems in place that provide furniture — a couch, a toaster and just about everything in between — for transitional housing, alleviating those expenses for folks trying to get on their feet.

“We’ve removed another barrier,” Joyner explained.

NCDAC Secretary Todd Ishee acknowledged the decades-long collaboration between his agency and Shaw University. He praised Dillard’s leadership and recognized Shaw University and its criminal-justice program for generating a pipeline of talent for the NCDAC.

Joyner, by the way, is a Shaw University alumnus. He recounted the story of one of his clients who earned a bachelor’s degree while incarcerated. That diploma was the byproduct of classes coordinated through Shaw University.