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Halifax–Northampton reentry council seeks county support for regional reentry services and a fiscal agent
Summary
Dr. Orin Perry presented the newly legitimized Halifax–Northampton reentry council, described a revolving NCDAC grant and asked Northampton County to serve as a fiscal agent or otherwise support regional reentry services including housing, mental-health care and transportation.
The chairman of the Halifax–Northampton reentry council asked Northampton County commissioners to support regional reentry services and to consider serving as a fiscal agent for program funds.
Dr. Orin Perry said the council — recently formalized and operating across Halifax and Northampton counties — has developed a reentry program that provides case management, employment referrals, mental-health links and housing support for justice-involved residents. He said the program had secured a revolving $250,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) and that the council has staff including a program coordinator and case managers. Perry said the council has placed hundreds of justice-involved clients in employment and launched a transitional boarding-house model.
Perry outlined multiple regional problems the council intends to address: jail overcrowding and transport costs, high rates of housing insecurity among reentry clients, limited local mental-health capacity and transportation barriers that cause clients to miss crucial appointments. He said data provided to the board showed high levels of housing insecurity within 14 days of release, gaps in mental-health services since a local hospital unit closed, and missed appointments caused by lack of reliable transportation.
Perry asked the board to consider becoming the council's fiscal agent to triage funds, write checks and subcontract services as needed — tasks the council said it lacked administrative capacity to handle itself. He also asked for input and partnership from Northampton County elected officials, noting that the NCDAC grant is regional and must serve both Halifax and Northampton counties.
Commissioners thanked Perry for the overview and asked clarifying questions about governance and next steps. The council said a formal proposal for fiscal-agent services would follow; no county vote was taken at the meeting.
