North Carolina Joins National Effort to Expand Education and Workforce Pathways for Justice-Impacted Individuals

The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction has been selected as one of four states in the inaugural cohort of Jobs for the Future's (JFF) Fair Chance to Advance (FC2A) State Action Networks, an initiative to help states expand high-quality postsecondary education and workforce pathways for individuals with histories of incarceration.
North Carolina will work with JFF's Center for Justice & Economic Advancement to address persistent barriers that may limit economic opportunities for many of the more than 70 million people in the United States with records of arrest, conviction, or incarceration.

Over the next four years, North Carolina -along with Kansas, Maine, and Oregon - will receive up to $2.1 million in funding, which includes $1.8 million in technical assistance from JFF and the Coleridge Initiative, a nonprofit organization working with governments to ensure that data is effectively used for public decision-making. States will gain access to a secure data-sharing platform to improve coordination between partner agencies and participate in a national learning network designed to accelerate reforms across corrections, postsecondary education, workforce development, and fair chance employment.

"When North Carolinians leaving incarceration have access to education and job training, they are far more likely to succeed and give back to their communities rather than return to crime," said Governor Josh Stein. "This investment from JFF will help North Carolina open doors to good jobs, strengthen our workforce, and prevent crime. People returning home will have a real opportunity for a second chance, and that benefits us all by making our communities safer and stronger."

"It is an honor to be selected as one of the states to receive funding for our work in rehabilitation and reentry," said Leslie Cooley Dismukes, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. "Reentry is vitally important to public safety in North Carolina, and I want to thank our staff for their hard work in securing this funding for this important task."

"The Fair Chance to Advance initiative will significantly expand North Carolina's capacity to support currently and formerly incarcerated learners by aligning and scaling our education, workforce, and reentry systems," said NCDAC Senior Deputy Secretary for Rehabilitation and Reentry George Pettigrew. "Through this grant, we will establish a coordinated, statewide approach that ensures people have access to high-quality education and career pathways - both during incarceration and post-release."

JFF selected North Carolina from among more than 30 applicants based on its existing efforts to expand economic mobility for individuals with criminal records. JFF said North Carolina has shown a commitment to bringing together a range of leaders across state agencies, and a clear articulation for how participating in the cohort would catalyze long-term change in the state. North Carolina plans to expand education, apprenticeships, and work-release opportunities and deepen data integration through its participation in the FC2A State Action Networks.

"We are excited to collaborate with the bipartisan, inter-agency leaders from across North Carolina who are committed to strengthening the state's workforce, supporting businesses, and creating pathways to quality jobs for learners with histories of incarceration," said Rebecca Villarreal, Senior Director, Center for Justice & Economic Advancement at JFF. "North Carolina brings meaningful cross-sector momentum through its Reentry 2030 work and a clear commitment from executive, legislative, and agency leaders to improving economic outcomes for people impacted by incarceration. FC2A will partner with state leaders to sharpen that coordination, surface where systems still disconnect and strengthen pathways that work better for people navigating them."

The launch of the State Action Networks represents the latest phase of the FC2A initiative, initially launched in 2024 with support from Ascendium Education Group.
"States that are most effective at linking postsecondary education and the workforce start with a clear purpose: ensure learners gain the skills and credentials that lead to upward mobility and meet workforce needs. From there, state leaders create the infrastructure and partnerships to make that vision possible - using data to identify opportunities, aligning funding and policy, and creating learner pathways that respond to employer demand," said Molly Lasagna, Senior Strategy Officer at Ascendium.

Mathematica will serve as the third-party evaluator to document lessons learned and share insights with the field. Throughout the initiative, the FC2A State Action Networks will closely engage people with histories of incarceration as advisors and co-designers.

An application to join North Carolina's five-person directly impacted advisory board is open through January 25.