Blog
Mecklenberg County Commissioner Advocates for Hiring of Individuals with Criminal Records
Mecklenburg County commissioner Pat Cotham recently urged three health care CEOs to consider hiring people with criminal records as a way to give them a second chance. Her request occurred as part of a Charlotte Chamber health care summit, during a conversation about fighting local poverty. She was speaking to the chief executives of Atrium Health, Novant […]
NC Prisons Recognize Humanism as Religion
Kwame Teague is incarcerated at Warren Correctional Institution in North Carolina. Recently, after a six year process, Teague successfully petitioned to have humanism officially recognized as a religion by the North Carolina prison system. The American Humanist Association describes humanism as a nontheistic belief system and a “rational philosophy informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated […]
Prison Employees Get Minimal Punishment for Crimes on the Job
In a series of articles published last year, the News and Observer exposed rampant corruption in North Carolina prisons. In response, state lawmakers asked DPS to provide information about crimes committed by prison employees while on the job. A review of these crimes shows a pattern of employees receiving minimal punishment. In one case, an officer was accused […]
Fee Waiver Limitation Plan Details Emerge
Do you think judges should be shamed for refusing to criminalize poverty? As CJPC has reported before, the state legislature has enacted a plan to discourage judges from waiving court fines and fees. The legislature has required noticed to be mailed to every state or local entity that gets a portion of court fines and fees so […]
CJPC Partners with NC ACLU to Develop DA Questionnaires
The Carolina Justice Policy Center and the North Carolina ACLU have partnered together to provide a district attorney candidate questionnaire for the upcoming May 8th primary elections. The questionnaire is designed to help voters assess which candidates support criminal justice reform. To view the questionnaire and candidate responses, click here.
UVA Law School Creates Interactive Death Penalty Map
The University of Virginia School of Law has created a new online resource that allows users to explore death penalty practices in the United States from 1991 to 2017. The resource consists of an interactive map that provides data about the number of death sentences by county. It allows users to compare and contrast different counties over […]
Greene and Lenoir Counties Launch School-Justice Partnership
Greene and Lenoir Counties are working towards keeping children in schools and out of jails. By launching a School-Justice Partnership, they seek to reduce law enforcement involvement in school misconduct. As part of the partnership, schools have signed an agreement outlining strategies for addressing misconduct. Currently, students of color and students with disabilities are overrepresented among suspended and […]
Litigation Challenges Cash Bail System
Bail reform advocates around the country now have a new tool to challenge the cash bail system. In North Carolina, the inequality created by cash bail has prompted advocates to push for pretrial release based on evidence of dangerousness and flight risk rather than ability to pay for bail. Only 10.4 percent of North Carolinians live in […]
Experimental Writing Course Provides Alternative to Jail
In Richmond, VA, a new diversion program is providing an opportunity for transformative self reflection. The program, called “Writing Your Way Out: A Criminal Justice Diversion Program” allows participants to take a Virginia Commonwealth University writing course as an alternative to jail. It is part of a partnership between VCU, the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences, […]
NC Police Officer Opens Up About Mistreatment of Black Men by Police
Shaunte Southern is a Sergeant in Gaston County, North Carolina. He has served primarily with patrol and the SWAT team. In a recent essay he wrote for The Undefeated, he opens up about racism in law enforcement. He writes, “[t]o be honest with you, I think that African-American males are treated differently by law enforcement, and that’s my honest opinion. I think this fear of black men is real. As a black officer, sometimes you feel like people expect or want you to pick a side- when in fact you can be both pro-black or pro-police.”
Stanly County Sheriff to Use Armed Volunteers in Schools
Do you want armed volunteers in your local schools? This is yet another issue of critical importance to engage your local sheriff. In Stanly County, the school board recently passed a measure that would allow the Stanly County Sheriff to place armed volunteers in schools. These volunteers will include former law enforcement and military police officers. Volunteers will be […]
ABA Creates Capital Clemency Resource Initiative Clearinghouse
The American Bar Association has created a new web resource devoted to the clemency process in death penalty cases. The resource, called the Capital Clemency Resource Initiative Clearinghouse, is the result of a collaboration between the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project and the Death Penalty Due Process Project. Misty Thomas, chief counsel for the Death Penalty Due […]
The Bail Industry and the Criminalization of Poverty in North Carolina
In theory, debtor’s prisons in the United States have been abolished long ago. In practice, however, the criminalization of poverty is a common problem. North Carolina is no exception. Not only are people often jailed for the inability to pay court fines and fees, but they are often subject to the arbitrary and unnecessary imposition […]
Voting of People with Felony Convictions Sparks Controversy in Alamance County
Twelve individuals with felony convictions are being charged with voter fraud for voting in the general election. Seven individuals have already been charged and five are being tracked down. According to the State Board of Elections, it is a felony “for any person convicted of a crime which excludes the person from the right of suffrage, to […]
Article Highlights Changes Necessary to Prevent Excessive Use of Force in Police Departments
As the topic of police brutality becomes more widely discussed, police departments are taking proactive steps to reduce excessive use of force. In a recent article by the Washington Post, authors examine what it takes to reduce deadly shootings.