Push for Durham's guaranteed income program to continue: 'It does increase the quality of life'

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- With the cost of living increasing and inflation the way it is, Cedric Craig wants those who were involved with the criminal justice system to get more access to the kind of help that's offered in Durham's guaranteed income pilot program.

Durham's guaranteed income program for formerly incarcerated persons hailed as a success

"What it does is increase the quality of life," Craig said. "Even though $600 may not seem like a significant amount of money, month to month, it is a bit more than they have before, and it really gives them the chance to just breathe."

The guaranteed income pilot program was launched in 2022 to help keep people out of the criminal justice system by supplying them with extra cash.

"It showed the success of giving people a chance," Craig said. "Also giving people a second chance at being able to improve their lives in a real beneficial and positive way."

Organizers say in one year, no one in the program has reoffended, making advocates such as Craig confident about the benefits of receiving aid.

"I look back to my own community before I came to Durham, back in Fayetteville," Craig said. "We have pretty high crime rate, high retention rate, and people I know in particular who have been affected by being incarcerated, I feel that the program that would have benefited them greatly."

The Fayetteville native works for "Durham For All," an organization that's launching a campaign to explore the possibility of adding one million dollars to the program in the upcoming budget.

Mayor Pro-Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton, who said he secured the $1 million that's already earmarked for the next group of participants, said there will be challenges when it comes to using actual taxpayer funds for these types of programs, especially the GI program that has faced some backlash.

"To those who may have concerns about it ... just giving away free money, we're going to wind up paying for things anyway," Middleton said. "It's a lot more expensive to incarcerate folks than it is to feed them economically. Secure people make better neighbors."

The campaign launched by "Durham For All," on Tuesday is just one of four meetings the organization hopes to host in the Spring and Summer at the People's Solidarity Hub at 1805 Chapel Hill Road in Durham.

"We really want to just build our own people power around guaranteed income by getting folks educated, supportive of it, and letting folks know that, you know, something like that is available for the community and what we can do with that," Craig said.

Durham County was also looking into launching a similar program.