Durham native Tydricka Lewis is a single mother of three, a non-profit founder, and an employee of the city of Durham.
Finding work-life balance was difficult when she was first released from prison in 2019. She was working three jobs and taking out loans to provide for her children. Then in 2022, she found the Excel Pilot Program, which gave her $600 a month to support her reintegration.
“And so, I found myself, once I got the guaranteed income, it was kind of like I lived a little bit whereas you know, not worrying, oh, I got to, you know, get $600 up for my car note and car insurance, I knew it was there,” Lewis said.
The program, which ran from March 2022 to February 2023, provided resources for 109 participants to readjust to society and move forward. Lewis says it's a support system that many people who were recently released from prison lack.
“A person that's been institutionalized for years, let's say a year, coming back to this freedom, you know, maybe they tore down their supports before going in,” Lewis said. “So, what are we going to do for them, to help them get on their way?”
The program chose participants based on a lottery. If you were selected, you had access to a full year of income, financial education, program support, and did not have restrictions on money use. It was different from previous programs Lewis particpated in.
"You have to prove that you're almost dead to get some support,” Lewis said. “And so, I believe that the program really went about this mission of, you know, people thriving.”
Launched by Step Up Durham through Mayors for Guaranteed Income, the Excel Pilot Program received its funds through donations.
Excel coordinator Shanti Callender says that the money allowed Step Up to start addressing the root cause of crime in Durham.
“So, the issue was trying to keep people educated and also get them employed, instead of having a criminal background, because that criminal background came from not having a job not being able to,” Callender said. “So, it was the ability to help those that have been incarcerated to get them back on their feet, giving no stable income and the ability to you know, get back into society.”
Step Up tracked how participants used the income. They found that the biggest portion of funds was spent at stores where a variety of goods can be bought, such as Target and Walmart. A good chunk of the money was spent on food and groceries.
“You need food for your kids, you might need diapers. A lot of our participants were women, and they did a lot of things because they were single mothers, they did a lot of things to help their family,” Callender said. “So, like I said, you can't be judged by the decisions you made — just the outcome of how you come out of that.”
Focusing on how participants can improve themselves, rather than what they’ve done in the past, is a core theme of the program. In addition to recognizing that poverty is part of the reason that folks end up in prison in the first place, they have identified how essential financial support is for preventing their return.
“How I’m viewed, as a minority, [society thinks] I just want to depend on the government, I just want to depend on the system… well, that’s what y’all wanted… because the system that was created, was never intended for anything to work," Lewis explained. "You're not paying me enough, but you want me to work 100 hours a week. So, if you've got to raise the food prices to whatever you want to raise it to, raise the rent prices, I can only go to work and work the hours that I'm allowed to work. And if it's not enough, the system that's created, this is what you wanted.”
Despite her struggles, Lewis is thriving. Even when the funding ended, Lewis found it served as a springboard for her.
“And so that pushed me more to start doing things, you know, to start on my other goals,” said Lewis. “I was wanting to go to school since I came home from prison, however, I'm just now getting into it.”
Lewis says this is just the tip of the iceberg, she has a larger vision in mind.
“So grateful that I was supported for a year. One year flew by. However, two or three more years, you know, maybe I'll be able to come back and give back, you know, just never know,” said Lewis. “And so, I'm just being able to start living finally. I feel like I'm teaching myself to live and not be in survival mode."
The Guaranteed Income Program is currently securing donations to be able to provide another full year of income to Durham residents.
