The Durham Redemption
The North Carolina city treats prisoners with respect—even inviting them to help shape spending on civic improvements.
Prisoners in Durham, North Carolina, are helping decide how the city spends part of its budget.
Durham sets aside money for civic improvements through participatory budgeting, a process that allows residents to propose ideas and vote on projects.
Durham was already encouraging incarcerated residents to vote, so including them in the budgeting process was a natural next step. Participants generated ideas, studied neighborhoods on iPads and helped develop proposals. In the latest cycle, 110 incarcerated residents submitted ideas, 10 served as budget delegates, and 230 voted.
“The direction that we’re taking our facility is letting all of our detainees know you still have a voice; you still are productive,” Justin Ellerbe, chief of detention services for the sheriff’s office, told Smart Cities Dive. “Let’s find your values, find your power and get it out there.”
Participants strongly favored playgrounds, basketball courts and other youth projects, often because they wanted children to avoid their own path into the justice system.
The initiative was named a 2026 Smart Cities Dive Community Project Award winner. Durham ultimately approved $2.4 million for resident-selected improvements, including an accessible public restroom, park repairs, public charging stations and neighborhood murals.