Country music star Maren Morris donates to NC Recidivism Reduction Campus
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Maren Morris said on Instagram she 'just donated' to the NC Recidivism Reduction Campus.
- Kerwin Pittman acquired Wayne Correctional Center in Nov 2025 to create a reentry campus.
- RREPS will let residents live there and get job, digital literacy and trauma care.
A North Carolina criminal justice activist’s plan to turn an old prison into a “Recidivism Reduction Campus” got a couple of celebrity endorsements Tuesday.
Country star Maren Morris commented “just donated” under an Instagram post from The News & Observer about the project.
She also reposted The N&O’s video on her Instagram story — a 24-hour post that shows when followers click on someone’s profile picture — writing “just donated to this. what an amazing idea.”
Actor Tituss Burgess also commented “Wow this is inspiring!!” under The N&O’s post and reposted it Tuesday.
The N&O has reached out to Morris’ management for comment.
Kerwin Pittman bought the former Wayne Correctional Center in Goldsboro in November 2025, The N&O previously reported. As far as he and his team can tell, Pittman, who was incarcerated for 11 1/2 years, is the first formerly incarcerated person in U.S. history to buy a prison.
He plans to turn the old prison into a campus where people leaving prison can live and get job training, digital literacy training and trauma-informed care.
Morris, who hails from Texas and is known for songs like “Girl” and “The Middle,” was named by Billboard in 2024 one of the 100 greatest country artists of all time. She won a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance in 2017 for her single, “My Church.”
Burgess, a regular on the Broadway stage, earned five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his role as Titus Andromedon in the Netflix comedy, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
Fundraising for prison project
Pittman said fundraising is still in the early stages, and he has yet to tally up how much money has been raised so far. He has previously said he hopes to raise $10 million.
Pittman sent The N&O screenshots of other celebrities, including comedian and voice actress Maria Bamford, rapper Yasiin Bey — formerly known as Mos Def — and actor Mario van Peebles having liked the post.
“It shows the need and the [innovation] of what we’re doing at the campus, right?” Pittman said. “And why something like this is needed and why everybody should get behind something like this.”
Pittman pointed to the project’s’ Linktree, where those interested can find links to send donations, forms to send suggestions about what to add to the campus and interest forms to volunteer. Those looking to make large donations can email Pittman at kerwin@rreps.net.
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 7:00 AM.
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