Returning Citizens Affairs Division
Mission
To lead Prince George’s County in being a regional and national model reentry ecosystem that provides county residents released from incarceration in state, local, and federal facilities with opportunities to transform their lives in such a way that they will become fully engaged and productive members of the community.
Vision
To have a recognized county reentry ecosystem that enhances public safety, contributes to economic development, and recognizes the humanity of returning citizens who live in Prince George’s County.
Background
County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has been committed to strengthening reentry services since the start of her administration, including reentry as one of her Proud Priorities that she created in 2019. The administration’s goal was to better coordinate reentry services and find ways to strengthen those services through a centralized office.
In addition, the Reentry Advisory Board (RAB) was created by Resolution CR-49-2019 (PDF) to address the needs of returning citizens who live in Prince George’s County. The RAB researched best practices and surveyed county agencies and nonprofit organizations to identify gaps in services and made recommendations to the County Executive’s Office. One of these recommendations was the creation of the Prince George’s County Returning Citizens Affairs Division (RCAD), listed in the RAB’s final report (PDF) in 2021.
Through this collaboration, the Returning Citizens Affairs Division was officially launched in May 2022 with the hiring of a Director and Liaison. Since its inception, the RCAD has been focused on surveying the landscape of services and activities that support returning citizens. This includes individual meetings with government, nonprofit and faith-based stakeholders.
Division Description
The Returning Citizens Affairs Division (RCAD) provides countywide coordination and oversight for Prince George’s County’s network of services for returning citizens. These services include:
- Coordination of services
- Community engagement
- Policy and advocacy
- Research
- Resource development
- Programmatic assessments and recommendations
Reentry Playbook
The RCAD has officially created a “Reentry Playbook.” This document will guide the Division in building an ecosystem that works for returning citizens in Prince George’s County.