Returning Citizen Alonzo Turner-Bey Now Heads Prince George’s Reentry Efforts
Alonzo Turner-Bey, who served time in juvenile incarceration and more than 30 years in prison, was brought to tears when he was appointed to lead the Returning Citizens Affair Division (RCAD) for Prince George’s County.
After spending years helping individuals return from prison and transition into housing and employment, Turney-Bey plans to continue that mission of service throughout the county.
“The mission is to make sure that we provide as much services and needs for the people of Prince George’s County from the disadvantaged population— help them get food stamps, get Medicaid so they can go to a doctor. If they need a GED, to help them go to school. Help them find job training, and help them find jobs that can give them a meaningful opportunity at living a respectful and productive life,” Turney-Bey told The Informer. “We want to make sure we don’t leave any stone unturned.”
Turner-Bey is ecstatic to work in this role alongside County Executive Aisha Braveboy, who he has called a transformational leader for her work in giving second chances to the formerly incarcerated.
“I began doing my work in reentry before my release. I would help men on the inside look for treatment programs, transitional housing, and jobs,” he said. “I want the people of Prince George’s County to know: if you’re coming home, we’re here to help you become a better version of yourself.”
He credited his time working as a Peer Recovery Specialist at the Bridge Center at Adam’s House in developing his abilities for this job, and credits numerous mentors, including Walter Lomax, Curtis Monroe-Bey, LaTasha Ward, and his father, for the many lessons and inspiration they have offered him over the years.
“The reentry advisory board, we talked about making a direct office to the county executive. The effort was led by returning citizens and one of the first leaders was a returning citizen. Now we have Alonzo leading that effort,” said Ward, also noting that Turner-Bey helped to pen legislation for others incarcerated as children with more opportunities for release.
She said Turner-Bey’s journey underscores one of Prince George’s many priorities.
“This county does believe in second chances,” she said.
Governor Offers Buyout for State Workers
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) is employing several measures to balance the state’s budget amid reduced federal spending and mass layoffs of federal workers by the Trump administration.
A state hiring freeze was already announced and some vacant state positions will also be eliminated. Now, as part of his plans to cut $121 million from the state budget, thousands of state workers have been offered a buyout of $20,000, plus an additional $300 for each year of service for full-time workers who have worked at least two years in the executive branch.
Moore cited “a federal administration that continues to harm Maryland’s people and the economy” and the worst financial situation for Maryland since the Great Depression as reasons for the buyout option, also known as a voluntary separation program (VSP).
“In order to manage within the adopted Fiscal Year 2026 budget, it is necessary to launch a voluntary separation program that will allow State employees to voluntarily separate from State employment in exchange for certain severance benefits,” read his executive order to authorize the VSP process.
Higher education and judiciary employees were excluded from the VSP.
This buyout would also cover six months of paid state health benefits and pay out unused leave and compensatory time. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 4.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 3, representing over 25,000 state workers, criticized the buyout option and noted other ways of trimming the state budget without reducing the state government’s ability to provide services.
“We want to reiterate that responsible decision-making around both cost-saving and revenue-raising measures must prioritize preserving our state services and the jobs of the workers who make them happen,” read a statement from the union. “That includes eliminating costly contracts, in-sourcing services where needed, addressing other inefficiencies, and closing corporate tax loopholes to raise much-needed state revenues.”
For more information on the buyout option, visit dbm.maryland.gov.
Senate Committee Narrowly Passes Amendment to Maintain Funding for FBI Greenbelt Site
Despite the Trump administration’s announcement to relocate the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from the dilapidated J. Edgar Hoover Building to the Ronald Reagan Building in Northwest, D.C, the fight over the next FBI headquarters continues.
While Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) was disappointed with the overall impact of the congressional funding bill; he was able to pass an amendment 15-14 to maintain funding for the Greenbelt site when Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted with the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“I, for one, would like to know that this analysis has actually been going on for more than just a couple months. That there’s actually been that effort to ensure that if we’re going to move forward, this is the right place and it’s the right place, not for a Trump administration, not for a Biden administration, not for a Jon Ossoff administration, but this is the right place for the FBI,” said Murkowski before casting her deciding vote.
Maryland legislators, including Van Hollen, have been ardent on bringing the headquarters to Greenbelt, especially since the site was officially selected by the General Services Administration (GSA) last November.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who called the existing building “unsafe for the FBI’s workforce,” cited the planned relocation to the Ronald Reagan Building, which formerly housed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), as the most “cost-effective and resource-efficient” way to carry out the FBI’s mission.
“The administration has also not provided any information around the total cost of the project or whether it will meet the Bureau’s security needs,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “That’s why I was pleased the Appropriations Committee passed my amendment on a bipartisan basis to prohibit the administration from using these funds for any purpose other than the relocation of the headquarters to Greenbelt, Maryland.”
