MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Mecklenburg County's Criminal Justice Services is hosting events on Tuesday and Wednesday to inform the community about criminal behavior, recidivism and trauma in order to improve criminal justice responses.

What You Need To Know

  • Mecklenburg County Commissioners proclaimed April as Reentry Month
  • Programming during the month simulates the barriers formerly incarcerated people face as they reenter society and informational sessions on how to improve criminal justice system responses
  • According to the county, around 1,500 residents return to Mecklenburg County from state and federal incarceration every year

The Exploring the Cycle of Recidivism is a lunch and learn at Mecklenburg County Department of Community Resources that will take place Tuesday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. On Wednesday, April 26 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Valeria C Woodward Conference Center, a session will be held on understanding trauma to improve criminal justice system responses.

Community members and anyone working in the criminal justice field can come to each event. 

Hope Marshall is the Reentry Services Manager with the county's Criminal Justice Services. She says there are thousands of barriers people face as they reenter society from incarceration. Her job is to ensure those in jail and prison know the resources and have a real person there to help when they get out. 

Marshall says the reentry events are for the community to understand those barriers.

"What we try to get through to the community is just the complexity of dealing with having a criminal record, as well as the frustrations of not having your needs satisfied and not being able to move up economically," Marshall said.

According to the county, around 1,500 residents return to Mecklenburg County from state and federal incarceration every year. At any given time, over 4,900 people are under state correctional supervision.

Marshall said a lack of transportation, money, identification and child care are some barriers people face coming out of incarceration. 

Kao Xiong was released in August after being incarcerated for 18 months. He knew he wanted to go back to school when he got out, and recently graduated from the Community Culinary School of Charlotte. 

The nonprofit culinary school trains people with long-term barriers to successful employment at no cost to them.

"I get up about 6:30 every morning to get on the bus to get here," Xiong said. "It's been hard. I don't have a car. The time to get here, the time to get back is about four hours, but it's well worth it."

Now, Xiong has secured a job at The King's Kitchen. He says he was able to benefit from the resources and connections he made through Criminal Justices Services.

"It was harder than you think," Xiong said. "You got to be tough just to make it, but I made it and it was an experience that I don't want to have to experience again."