Not Just Another Shared House: North Carolina Farm Eases Re-entry for Released Prisoners
Nestled in central North Carolina’s Alamance County, Benevolence Farm offers a unique reentry program: a holistic approach to supporting formerly incarcerated women. The 13-acre farm serves as their residence, a hub for social advocacy and a small business enterprise. Though currently limited to a half-dozen residents in two shared homes, the program announced in early 2024 that it would expand with the addition of seven tiny homes.
Community Advocacy Director Mona Evans recalled a resident released from a 27-year sentence who “was very worried about like, hey, what if I can’t figure out how to work my microwave, I’m a felon. I don’t feel comfortable with just knocking on someone’s door and asking them how to do this.”
Evans, a former resident who completed a four-and-a-half-year state prison term, said the program aids the transition from incarceration with access to various supportive services. It is also building the tiny homes for those ready for more independence.
In addition to a place to live, the farm offers opportunities to earn a living wage and develop job skills. Residents tend crops, make body care products and pack online orders. Unlike many other programs, the farm does not deny entry based on certain convictions.
Kristen Powers, who founded Benevolence Farm in 2007, said she was inspired by her mother’s struggles with Huntington’s disease, a neurogenerative disorder whose early symptoms include psychiatric problems. Recalling how neighbors called law enforcement or child protective services when her mother’s behavior was affected by the illness, she realized that most people did not want to be involved with inconvenient situations. But it wasn’t until after college, when she worked at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, that she learned the importance of advocacy from formerly incarcerated organizers.
At the farm, Powers said, each former prisoner is free to pursue her own goals, whether they be advocacy, vocational training or simply healing from trauma. Visits from family are encouraged, and a prepaid cellphone is provided to maintain family connections during the first month; after that residents can make overnight trips and visit family on weekends. By focusing on healing, empowerment and systemic change, the farm is working to break the cycle of incarceration—one small group of women at a time.
Sources: Prism Magazine, Spectrum Local News
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