Chuck Manning

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Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Obtain Property False Pretense. Driving While License Revoved. Number of Charges, Durh
Update from the

BLOOMBERG INNOVATION TEAM

@Durham_iteam

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INTRODUCING DURHAM’S I-TEAM (from left to right): Chuck Manning (i-team community outreach coordinator) Ryan Smith (i-team project manager) Erin Parish (i-team design strategist) Bertha Johnson (Director, Budget & Management Services) Darin Johnson (i-team data analyst) Josh Edwards (i-team director) Genesis Smith (NCCU research fellow)

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First Challenge CURRENT PRIORITY STATEMENT The collateral consequences of arrest hinder economic opportunity and mobility for those involved in the Criminal Justice System. This project seeks to increase economic opportunity and mobility for Justice-Involved Residents (JIRs) in Durham or those at high-risk of justice involvement. OUR PROCESS:

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About our Progress PROBLEM FRAMING

INDEPTH RESEARCH

SYNTHESIS OF FINDINGS

IDEA GENERATION

PROTOTYPE & TEST

DELIVER, EVALUATE & ADAPT

Currently we are conducting & synthesizing in-depth research. This includes:

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH • In-depth interviews and focus groups with over 50 justice involved residents • Interviews with 15 law enforcement officials • Interviews with 10 judicial officials and criminal justice advocates • Interviews with 15 service providers • Interviews with 5 employers • Participant observation at Step Up, misdemeanor diversion program, community bail-out program, the Local Reentry Council, and County Jail

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH • Analyzing data from Durham County Jail , Admin. Office of the Courts, NC Dept. of Public Safety, DMV, and City hiring records. 4

Durham’s Justice Involved Population Each year, over 700 people return home to Durham from state prison.

Thousands more are detained each year in the Durham County Jail. Currently, an additional 2,400 people are on probation in Durham.

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Durham’s Justice Involved Population Those incarcerated, detained, or on probation are more likely to be young, men, and people of color. Race of Probation Population, 2017 Black

Age of Jail Population, 2016 3000

White

Other

6% 22%

2500

72%

2000

1500

Gender of Probation Population, 2017 Men

1000

Women

21% 500

0

Under 20

20s

30s

40s

50s

60 or over

79%

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Some Early Findings from our Research • The difficulty finding work extends far beyond the challenges of having a criminal record. Finding & keeping a job involves job readiness, employer willingness, employee willingness, and ongoing support for job retention.

• Yes, criminal records make it much more difficult for Durham residents to find employment, and this can last for decades. “I can’t bury this dog. It keeps getting dug up.” “Durham needs to build a culture within the employment community that prides itself on giving second chances.”

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Even if there were enough job opportunities for those with records, that would not address the need for job readiness and culturally appropriate, trauma-informed mental health services. “On the surface, you need a job, you need to earn money, you need to get transportation, you need health care. You need all of those things. You need a real place to live. That’s on the surface. But beneath that, what you really need is a sense of self. That’s gonna help you keep all of those things. And if we don’t get that developed, then you might get a job at Whole Foods but you’re not gonna keep it because your lack of socialization, your lack of ability to feel confident enough to socialize with people is gonna continue to limit you.” - Justice Involved Durham Resident

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Low-wage jobs with no upward mobility are not appealing to many young men with criminal records, who already have access to illegal employment that’s lucrative & provides an opportunity for career mobility. “When you think of pride, guys that are used to making a certain amount and then they’re like, what, eight bucks an hour? Naw, I’m not doing that.” "I know there’s this thing I can do that I’m really good at. I know all the rules, I can make a lot of money. I know the street. But this job thing, I don’t know what I’m doing. I put on a suit?”

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The inability to obtain a driver’s license poses a major barrier to employment & flourishing, and previous efforts to address this barrier have been well intentioned but not effectively designed. SHELLY’S STORY: Shelly had over $2,000 in unpaid driving fines and fees • Her driver’s license had been revoked long ago, but she kept driving. She didn’t have the money to pay the fines. • With four children, the car really helped to get to work, daycare, and all the other places in-between. • After a while, her luck ran out. She got pulled over and arrested for driving without a license. Since she had so many unpaid tickets, the judge put her on probation. • Even though she worked hard at her temporary job, her boss didn’t want to hire her for the permanent position due to the fear she wouldn’t reliably show up to work.

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The inability to obtain a driver’s license poses a major barrier to employment & flourishing, and previous efforts to address this barrier have been well intentioned but poorly designed. How big of a problem is this?

933,386

The number of people in NC, as of August 2017, whose driver’s license was suspended for traffic-related failure to appears and failure to pays.

• According to NC state law, suspension of a person’s driver’s license is MANDATORY and INDEFINITE for nonpayment of traffic court debt. Number of Charges, Durham Jail, 2011 - Present 0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

Misdemanor Probation Violation

Driving While Licensed Revoked is one of the most common charges in Durham County Jail.

Driving While Impaired Assualt on a female Misdemanor Larceny Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Obtain Property False Pretense Driving While License Revoved

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Requiring a prospective employee to have driver’s license (DL) as a minimum qualification for employment can have the same effect as failing to “ban the box” on employment applications. Applicants who do not have a driver’s license are screened out at the start and never considered. • As one example, the City of Durham government – a committed “ban the box” employer – requires a driver’s license for 351 out of 543 (65%) job classifications. • Jobs that require a DL include: • Laborers • PT “unskilled” positions • Custodian II • Some internships

Job classifications by license requirement, City of Durham (2017)

Require DL Do not require DL

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Example: Durham Driver Amnesty Day A partnership between the City of Durham and Durham DA’s Office Testing a novel approach: What happens if you make it easy for people to have their records reviewed? We believe Durham is the first city to allow people to apply for amnesty without having to appear in person at the courthouse.

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Example: Supportive Transitional Jobs Re-entry programs focusing on the first year out of prison need to offer: • Ongoing case management, including: • Links to supporting services • Essential skills training for job readiness and retention, including: • Communication skills • Conflict resolution

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What’s Next Timeline:

PROBLEM FRAMING

INDEPTH RESEARCH

SYNTHESIS OF FINDINGS

NowDecember • Continue indepth research

DecemberFebruary

March

• Engage • Narrow down Stakeholders in list of promising idea generation ideas and start process small scale pilot tests

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Thank You: Build on Positive Momentum We are encouraged by the momentum in our community around this challenge and the many good ideas that people are actively working to advance, including: • The Local Reentry Council (CJRC, NC DPS) • Movement to end cash bail (SONG, Center for Responsible Lending, ACLU, and others) • Court Reminder System to reduce failure to appears (CJRC) • Ban the Box certification for employers (Southern Coalition) • Expanding the network of expungement clinics • Durham’s Misdemeanor Diversion Program (CJRC)

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Join us in the Innovation Lab We invite you to visit us in City Hall’s new innovation lab. Grand Opening – December 4th @ 5:30pm

Special thanks to our colleagues in Budget & Management Services for letting us take over the conference room these past few months. @Durham_iteam

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