by Elizabeth Simpson | Apr 23, 2025 | Criminal Justice Reform, Emancipate NC News
The Vance County Jail is under urgent scrutiny after the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) flagged dangerous conditions inside the facility — including malfunctioning fire alarms, broken cell locks, rampant contraband, and severe...
by operations | Apr 23, 2025 | Criminal Justice Reform, Emancipate NC News, Mass Incarceration, Raising the Juvenile Age
Commentary by Phillip Vance Smith, II North Carolina lawmakers sponsored the Prison Resources Repurposing Act (PRRA) for the third time as NC Senate Bill 681 on March 25. As an incarcerated man who has been serving life without parole (LWOP) for murder since 2002,...
by operations | Apr 23, 2025 | Criminal Justice Reform, Emancipate NC News
Summary of Phillip Vance Smith II’s article, “In North Carolina, Juvenile Lifers See a Pathway to Freedom.” Some were barely teenagers when they were sentenced to spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Many endured poverty, trauma, and abuse...
by operations | Apr 23, 2025 | Criminal Justice Reform, Emancipate NC News, Policing
A few weeks ago, Emancipate NC, alongside ACLU of North Carolina and Muslim Advocates, filed a lawsuit against UNC-Chapel Hill for violating the constitutional rights of student protesters during the 2023–2024 campus demonstrations in...
by operations | Apr 9, 2025 | Criminal Justice Reform, Emancipate NC News, Mass Incarceration
Team Emancipate invites you to participate in the “Breaking the Chains” webinar hosted by Meredith College. This dynamic panel discussion will delve into the devastating impact of overcriminalization and harsh sentencing laws on vulnerable communities, while...
by operations | Apr 9, 2025 | Criminal Justice Reform, Emancipate NC News
Our friend at Duke Divinity School, Meredith Manchester, has launched a petition calling on Durham residents to demand an end to solitary confinement at the Durham County jail. Sheriff Clarence Birkhead — who brands himself as a progressive — insists that “solitary...
