Durham, North Carolina, includes incarcerated residents in city budgeting
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In Durham, North Carolina, people incarcerated in the Durham County Detention Facility now help decide how the city spends public funds.
Since 2018, Durham has used participatory budgeting to let residents guide spending decisions. Initially, incarcerated people could vote but not contribute ideas or develop proposals. Program leaders with PB Durham wanted to include these residents more fully, believing they have strong community ties.
The city partnered with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office to allow incarcerated residents to become budget delegates. These delegates reviewed proposals, using iPads to study data and street views of project sites from within the jail. Sheriff Clarence Birkhead supported the change, noting that incarcerated people retain the right to participate in civic life. The sheriff’s office already offered educational programs and voting access to inmates.
In the latest round, 10 residents helped develop proposals, 110 collected ideas, and 230 voted. Participants focused on supporting youth programs like basketball courts and playgrounds, expressing a desire to improve opportunities for children. PB Durham plans to expand the program to the women’s facility next year, despite challenges with inmate turnover that limited long-term participation in the proposal phase.
