Rep. Eric Murphy, R-Grand Forks, makes off with pretend money he robbed from a fake bank while participating in a reentry simulation for officials hosted by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and nonprofits. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)
(Mary Steurer – North Dakota Monitor) -For one hour, Rep. Eric Murphy, R-Grand Forks, was “Chelsea” — a formerly incarcerated woman trying to make ends meet on $320 a week.
He had to use his resources wisely to put food on the table, pay rent, go to work and attend mandatory appointments like probation meetings or treatment services. Falling behind on his responsibilities could land him in jail.
“My anxiety is going up because of all this,” he joked.
Murphy and other state lawmakers gathered in the Capitol’s Memorial Hall on Friday for a reentry simulation hosted by the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
The program is meant to mirror the obstacles people face after leaving prison and jail, said Liza Taylor, a probation and parole officer.
“When I have someone come out of prison or incarceration, they are scared to death,” she told officials.
The exercise comes as lawmakers are expected to vote on proposals this legislative session for addressing issues like jail and prison overcrowding, sentencing, housing scarcity and behavioral health. During his State of the State Address last week, Gov. Kelly Armstrong also announced the creation of a new Cabinet position, the commissioner of Recovery and Re-Entry.
During the program, each public official was given a packet assigning them a name and criminal history, as well as details on their employment and housing situation.
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