Blog
Wake County Jury Again Decides Against Increasing the NC Death Row Population
March has been a good month for advocates against the death penalty in North Carolina. In the seventh straight trial, a Wake County jury has considered all the evidence and returned a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. By rejecting the death penalty, juries in Wake County are reflecting the trends across the […]
Raise the Age Bill Introduced with Strong Bi-Partisan Support
The Carolina Justice Policy Center, as one of the members of the Raise the Age Coalition, has worked for over a decade to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina. Wednesday, March 8, 2017, we moved a giant step closer. With 68 bi-partisan primary and co-sponsors, House Bill 280, entitled the Juvenile Justice […]
Peer Specialist Support Training Opportunity
Promise Resource Network is offering an intense, 40-hour training, for Peer Support Specialist Certification from March 6 through March, 10. The professional development course includes coursework, homework, class exercises and sharing recovery stories. Peer Support Specialists are people who provide support as mentors to others in recovery by using their own recovery story as motivation […]
US Supreme Court Cites Racial Prejudice to Order New Sentencing Hearing in Death Penalty Case
In a 6-2 ruling, the United State Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of Duane Buck. Justice Thomas and Justice Alito dissented. According to the New York Times, the Court indicated the case as was riddled with “particularly noxious strains of racial prejudice.” Specifically, a psychologist testified that Black defendants were more dangerous than white […]
Attorney General Sessions Issues Memo Reversing Ban on Private Prisons
Weeks into his new role, Attorney General Sessions has started rolling back important positive steps in the criminal justice system put into place during the Obama Administration. In this case, Attorney General Sessions issued a memo rescinding the 6 month old Obama directive to end the use of privately run prisons. According to the New […]
"Citizens Protection Act of 2017" – Limits Pretrial Release for Undocumented Immigrants
The House bill entitled “Citizens Protection Act of 2017” seems to be designed to do anything but protect some of the most vulnerable among us. The bill threatens to withhold funds from sanctuary cities who do not enforce federal immigration laws and makes it difficult for undocumented immigrants to post pretrial bail. The bill would […]
DWI Treatment Court and Driver's License Restoration
A bill introduced by Senators Jim Davis (R-Cherokee) and Terry Van Duyn (D-Buncombe) would give DWI Treatment Court judges one more tool to help make North Carolina roads safer. The idea behind the bill came from a DWI Treatment Court judge who wants to incentivize recovery for DWI defendants. The desired outcome of the bill […]
Mental Health and Criminal Justice Collaboration Grant – Update
As we reported in our last update, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. The purpose of this grant is to help communities create and continue cross-system collaborations for people with mental health […]
Center for Death Penalty Litigation Successfully Argues against the Death Penalty for Buncombe Man
Phillip Davis was resentenced from a death sentence to life without the possibility of parole, reducing the number of active inmates on North Carolina’s death row to 148. We previously reported on Phillip’s hearing here. The final decision was issued last Friday in Buncombe County. Mr. Davis was represented by attorneys from the Center for […]
National Alliance on Mental Illness NC 2017 CIT Conference
Last week, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) held its annual CIT Conference. The conference was designed for law enforcement officers, jail administrators, court personnel, emergency responders, social workers, counselors, and mental health advocates. During the conference attendees heard from criminal justice professionals about how to effectively and humanely deal with the growing number of […]
HK on J March Draws Possible Record Crowd
On Saturday, the North Carolina NAACP held its 11th annual HJonK March in Downtown Raleigh. According to the News and Observer, the agenda included expressing support for the Affordable Care Act amid Republican efforts to repeal the health care law known as Obamacare, as well as opposition to President Donald Trump’s plans to build a […]
Nancy Shakir: A Loss to the Advocacy Community
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Nancy Shakir, a friend to CJPC and a tireless activist for social justice in North Carolina, including educating citizens about the documented racial bias in North Carolina death penalty cases and the Racial Justice Act. Even as she struggled with her health, she NEVER […]
CJPC is Hiring!
CJPC is hiring a new Executive Director. Download and review the job description and share with interested candidates. From Board Chair Dr. George Wilson about the departure of Lao Rubert, Executive Director: Lao Rubert, CJPC’s wonderful and beloved Executive Director has decided to retire from her position in the Spring, 2017. CJPC has been privileged […]
Legislature Reconvenes – New Committee Chairs Appointed
The legislature reconvened on Wednesday and new committee appointments were made. The committees – and committee chairs – that will be particularly important for criminal justice issues are listed below. Take a minute to see if a member from your area is listed as one of the full or subcommittee chairs. You can also click […]
HK on J March Set for Feb 11
Join the NAACP and more than 200 coalition partners in downtown Raleigh for the annual Historic Thousands on Jones St. (HK on J) Moral March. Together we will march for a more fair and just North Carolina. Saturday, Feb. 11, Downtown Raleigh, 2 East South St. This is a great chance to make your voice […]