Every year, thousands of people complete their sentences in one of North Carolina’s correctional institutions and return to their community.
Preparing offenders for their return home is a nine-month process. Case managers review the home plan with the offender to ensure they will have a stable place to live, they help the offender get new identification and documents they may need and help the offender connect with resources for employment, transportation and other assistance.
The year has brought us many changes. One thing that has not changed – protecting our home. Home safety is extremely important especially during the holiday season. Emergency Management and law enforcement experts from the Department of Public Safety came up with these tips to help your family remain safe during the holidays.
Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season and has made a name for itself as the largest shopping day of the year. Many friends and family shop together to plan a day scoring deals upon deals. But satisfying shopping experiences can quickly turn sour if we’re not careful. Following these tips will help keep you safe however you choose to shop in this holiday season and during a pandemic.
Shopping during COVID-19
Collisions and other road incidents can happen any time, anywhere, no matter the experience level of the driver. One of the safest choices both drivers and passengers can make in a vehicle is to wear a seat belt. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that in 2017, seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives. In that same year, 47 percent of those killed in motor vehicle crashes were not wearing a seat belt.
The Department of Public Safety is charged with preventing, protecting and preparing North Carolinians from actual or potential dangers. While much attention is placed on natural disasters, those aren’t the only instances when the public needs to be protected.
The department is a great resource for safety tips to help you and your family stay safe. To serve our growing Spanish-speaking population, many of these resources also are available in Spanish.
The ongoing pandemic temporarily halted in-person educational programs in every state prison due to restrictions placed on outside visitation by instructors, as well as community colleges stopping classes. But it did not stop the N.C. Field Minister Program from moving forward into its fourth year at Nash Correctional Institution.
The Division of Prisons works tirelessly to train offenders for life back in the community. Educational and job training opportunities abound in the state’s 50-plus facilities through Correction Enterprises and other avenues, but the majority of those opportunities benefit male offenders.
Thanks to its continuing partnership with The College at Southeastern in Wake Forest, a program geared toward female offenders is now in place at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh.
Navigating the uncharted waters of a modern-day pandemic has been difficult and challenging for everyone, particularly for people working and living in congregate housing settings.
One of the most important – yet easily overlooked – ways to be disaster ready is making sure you have critical information stored in a safe place. Having copies of your identification, financial and legal documentation, medical information and critical contacts in a secure, easily accessible location will help you more quickly recover after a disaster.