A new food truck will give former convicts a second chance to assimilate back into the Durham community.
The truck—called 2econd Helpings—will only employ individuals who were recently released from prison. When they are not working on the truck, employees will have the option to take classes at the Criminal Justice Resource Center of Durham County to help them readjust to civilian life. Drew Doll, an employee of the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham, founded the program in part based on his personal experience as an ex-convict, noting that it was extremely difficult for him to get a job after being released from prison.
“What a poor job we [the criminal justice system] do preparing people in prison to be successful in society,” Doll said. “What you have done in the past is in the past. We are focusing on the future.”
Currently, Doll is fundraising in order to purchase the first truck for the program and plans to begin operation by March. Employees will work 20 hours a week and earn a living wage of approximately $12 an hour.
Doll said he is confident that working in the food truck will provide employees with the experience and skills necessary to reintegrate into society, adding that the truck could be an opportunity that prevents recently released inmates from committing another offense.
The program addresses the trend of recidivism that occurs in Durham and across the country. According to a 2014 study performed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, close to two-thirds of all prisoners were arrested again within three years of their release.
To prevent re-entry into the prison system, 2econd Helpings will provide a “fault-tolerant working environment,” Doll said. Employees are expected to make mistakes, which will not only be tolerated, but also used as teaching tools.
This message of learning from one's mistakes was echoed by Marcia Owen, Trinity '78 and director of the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham, which sponsors “re-entry” teams to assist in the transition from prison back into the community.
“This is an idea whose time has come,” Owen said.
Employees will also be provided with opportunities from the CJRC, including aid for transitional housing, substance abuse programs, cognitive behavior intervention, employment and educational service assistance, said Gudrun Parmer, director of the CJRC. The CJRC usually works with its clients for the first six to nine months after they are released and sees about a 25 percent re-arrest rate—far lower than the average for Durham County.
Doll said he has been impressed with the reception to 2econd Helpings so far.
“Everyone is really accepting of the concept so far, and Durham is a really tolerant community,” Doll said.
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