Public News Service

The White House predicted more than 6,500 people with prior federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana, and thousands of such convictions under District of Columbia law, could benefit from pardons. (Adobe Stock)

NC presidential pardon highlights marijuana reform

A man from North Carolina serving a long sentence for selling drugs has received a presidential pardon, which sparked discussions about long …

The lawsuit claims the officers' conduct violates the Fourth Amendment, amounts to assault and battery, or at least negligence, and ultimitely is what caused the wrongful death of Darryl Tyree Williams. (Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit seeks justice for NC man's death in police custody

Three attorneys are joining forces to seek justice for a North Carolina family. At a news conference, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump - along with …

In North Carolina, a person accused of murder is twice as likely to be sentenced to death if the victim is white, according to the North Carolina Coalition of Alternatives to the Death Penalty. (Adobe Stock)

Racial Justice Act case could affect NC death row inmates

A first-of-its-kind case in Johnston County could affect the futures of more than 100 people on death row in North Carolina. It's the Racial Justice …

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, North Carolina has an incarceration rate of 617 per 100,000 people in prisons, jails, immigration detention and juvenile justice facilities. (Jessica Leigh/Adobe Stock)

Report has remedies for racial disparities in NC criminal-justice system

Sixty percent of those incarcerated in North Carolina are people of color, one of the highest rates in the country. A new report from The Sentencing …

The Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023 would restore voting rights to all Americans with criminal convictions, eliminate state-level barriers for incarcerated individuals to vote in federal elections, and prohibit prosecution for incomplete ballots. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Bill aims to restore voting rights for incarcerated people in NC, US

More than 83,000 people in North Carolina are unable to vote, due to a past or present felony conviction and at least some are watching new …

NC leaders discuss alternatives to criminal-justice fees

The burden of criminal justice fees can be financially devastating for many individuals. From speeding tickets to court costs, those involved in the …

People who are detained awaiting trial are more likely to accept a less favorable plea deal, more likely to be sentenced to prison, and more likely to receive longer sentences, research from The Sentencing Project showed. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br /><br />

Report: Minorities make up NC prison population majority

A new study of incarceration trends shows people who are Black or Native American make up more than half of North Carolina's prison population…

Since 2005, Supreme Court rulings have accepted adolescent brain science and banned the use of capital punishment for juveniles, limited life-without-parole sentences to homicide offenses, banned the use of mandatory life without parole and applied the decision retroactively. (Adobe Stock)

NC advocates push for end to juvenile life sentences

More than half of U.S. states have already banned life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles. North Carolina isn't one of them - …

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, about one in five young people held in juvenile facilities is awaiting trial and has not been found guilty or delinquent. (Adobe Stock)

Fewer NC youths locked up, but more juvenile justice reforms needed

The number of children behind bars in North Carolina has declined significantly in recent years, but their advocates said more work could be done to …

In 2019, Black youths were 4.4 times as likely to be incarcerated in the juvenile-justice system<br />as were their white peers. (Jeffrey Zalesny/Adobe Stock)

Report Offers Ways to Reduce Jail, Prison Populations in NC

The U.S. prison population has grown nearly 500% since the start of mass incarceration 50 years ago and now, reform advocates are calling for its end …

NC Family Demands Fair Treatment as Teen Brothers Face Adult Charges

A Gaston County family is demanding fair treatment as teenage twin brothers Paden and La'Dainian Fuller face attempted first-degree murder charges in …

Between 1999 and 2019, more than 800,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States. (Milovan Zrnic/Adobe Stock)

NC Families, Advocates Demand Expansion of Good Samaritan Laws

As North Carolina faces an increasing number of overdose-related deaths, there are new calls urging the state to update and expand its Good Samaritan …

For the mutual aid organizers in Asheville, part of their solution to what they say is

NC 'Mutual Aid' Groups Face Legal Challenges

By Shane Burley for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Yes! Media-Public News …

U.S. consumers received more than 50 billion robocalls in 2022, according to data from YouMail Inc. (Adobe Stock)<br />

North Carolina Clamps Down on Robocalls

North Carolina's Attorney General Josh Stein recently won a lawsuit shutting down a massive robocall operation out of Texas. According to the …

There were 129 exonerations nationwide in 2020, according to research from the University of Michigan Law School. (Adobe Stock)

Pressure Mounts to Compensate NC Man Wrongfully Imprisoned

Advocates for a man wrongfully imprisoned for decades due to misconduct by a Durham Police detective and released in 2016, want the city to honor a …

Observers say in the past several years, the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association has had an increasingly heavy hand in crafting state policies related to policing and criminal justice. (Adobe Stock)

A Powerful Lobby Shaped NC’s Newest Body-Camera Law

By Mandy Locke and Danielle Battaglia Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan Reporting for the Gaston Gazette -North Carolina News Service Members of…

Among young people referred to court, detention has grown even more common for Black, Latinx and Asian/Pacific Islander youth, while holding steady for white and Tribal youth, reveals a recent report from The Sentencing Project. (Adobe Stock)

NC Governor’s Use of Clemency Spotlights Juvenile Life Sentencing

Gov. Roy Cooper has used his clemency power to end life sentences for three people sent to prison as children. His decision last month followed the …

Research from 2016 found that when police were equipped with cameras during a test period, use of force incidents and citizen complaints shrank by 50% and 90%. (Adobe Stock)">

Critics: NC Courts Have “Wide Discretion” on BodyCam Footage Release

Under a 2016 law, footage from cameras worn by North Carolina police officers can only be released through court order. But critics say the process …

Kristie Puckett-Williams turned her life around after being incarcerated in a Mecklenburg County jail.(Steve Remich)

Turning Trauma Behind Bars Into Advocacy for Incarcerated Pregnant Women

By Ashley Mahoney for the Charlotte Post with support from the Pulitzer Center.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for North Carolina News Service…

On Nov. 10, Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC presented oral arguments to North Carolina Supreme Court Justices about the racial justice consequences of life-without-parole sentencing in juvenile cases. (Supreme Court of North Carolina)

NC Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Juvenile Life-without-Parole

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on the racial disparities involved in sentencing kids under 18 to …

Nationwide, Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of white Americans, according to a recent report from the Sentencing Project. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NC Leads Nation in Black Prison Population

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A recent report from the Sentencing Project finds North Carolina to be one of twelve states in which more than half the prison …

Seventeen people on death row were executed in the United States in 2020, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. (Adobe Stock)

Faith, Death Penalty Focus of NC Virtual Sabbath

RALEIGH, N.C. - An online conversation this Sunday will focus on faith with people affected by capital punishment. Panelists will include George …

Day 2 Day Dads, a Raleigh-based fatherhood program, helps men reconnect with their children after incarceration. (Adobe Stock)

Formerly Incarcerated Fathers Reconnect With Kids They Left Behind

By Freda Freeman, reporting for the Charlotte PostBroadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan, Public News Service RALEIGH, N.C. -- Marquee Yarborough, 30…

North Carolina's Senate Bill 300 also creates a felony charge for resisting police, if it results in physical injuries to the officer involved. (Adobe Stock)

ACLU: NC's Criminal-Justice Reform Package Doesn't Go Far Enough

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed sweeping criminal-justice reform into law this month that is meant to hold police more …

Michael Watkins of Raleigh spent six months in prison for felony breaking and entering in 1988 and the next three decades getting his life on track. He earned a bachelor's degree last year at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. (Michael Watkins)

Formerly Incarcerated Face Barriers to Normalcy

By Herbert L. White, Reporting for the the Charlotte Post Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan, Public News Service CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Michael …

Saichelle McNeill of Charlotte (right, with daughter J'Nai) served 27 months in federal prison. Upon release, she endured rejection when she applied for jobs in laundry services, before launching Washroom Laundry. (Courtesy Saichelle McNeill/The Charlotte Post)

Formerly Incarcerated NC Woman Built Her Own Small Business

By Ashley Mahoney, Reporting for the the Charlotte Post Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan, Public News Service CHARLOTTE, N.C. - When Saichelle …

According to FBI data, U.S. law enforcement agencies made an estimated 1,558,862 drug related arrests in 2019. (Adobe Stock)

NC Faith Leaders Call Out "Failed" Drug Policy

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - As activists mark more than 100 days of protest since the April 21 death of Andrew Brown Junior - killed outside his Elizabeth …

Since 2007, 11 states raised the age of criminal responsibility to age 18, a nationwide reform initiative referred to as

Report: NC’s ‘Raise the Age’ Law Led to Fewer Youths Charged as Adults

RALEIGH, N.C. -- In 2019, North Carolina stopped charging most 16- and 17-year-olds as adults, and a new report looks at the law's effects on the …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both …

Black youths are more than twice as likely to be arrested than their Caucasian peers. (Adobe Stock)<br />

NC Family Responds to Temporary Police Detention of Black Youth, 14

FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. -- After a 14-year-old Black boy in North Carolina was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car in front of his home …

Formerly incarcerated individuals are quarantining at a motel in Durham, but some say they're being detained beyond the two-week period. (Adobe Stock)

NC 'COVID Motel' May Pose Problems for Re-Entering Citizens

DURHAM, N.C. - Attorneys are seeking answers from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety about its pilot program that houses men being …

After the killing of George Floyd last summer sparked nationwide protests, 58% of Americans say major changes are needed to make policing better, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

NC Task Force Offers Police-Reform Recommendations

RALEIGH, N.C. - A statewide task force appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper has released a sweeping set of recommendations aimed at ending racism in the …

Of all the potential North Carolina voters who were disenfranchised in 2016 because of a felony conviction, more than half were on community supervision. (Adobe Stock)

More Reform Urged after NC Ruling on Voting Rights for Some on Probation, Parole

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Some North Carolinians who currently are on probation, parole or post-release supervision for a felony conviction are now allowed to …

Police in Washington block a road to the White House during recent protests after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd. (Adobe Stock)

Examining Southern Policing’s Origins in Slavery

RALEIGH, N.C. - Modern day police departments in the southern United States can be directly traced to the institution of slavery, some 300 years ago…

Police conduct against people of color has outraged the nation and sparked weeks-long protests.(Adobe Stock)

Activists Call Voting Key to Police Reform

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Knowing where local elected leaders stand on police use of force and using the power of your vote are key to implementing …

Juvenile court officials say school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic have contributed to the nationwide drop in youth arrests and detention. (Adobe Stock)

NC Sees Drop in Youth Arrests, Detention Since Pandemic Began

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The state's juvenile courts say arrests of young people have dropped since the coronavirus pandemic began, mirroring a national …

Firearms-related deaths in North Carolina topped 1,400 North Carolinians in 2017, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

53 NC Counties Proclaim They're 'Second Amendment Sanctuaries'

RALEIGH, N.C. - More than half of North Carolina's 100 counties have passed resolutions declaring they are "Second Amendment sanctuaries" - meaning …

In the case Batson v. Kentucky, a 1986 U.S. Supreme Court decision made it illegal to exclude jurors on the basis of race. (Adobe Stock)<br />

NC Supreme Court Considers Racial Discrimination in Jury Box

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The North Carolina Supreme Court this week heard oral arguments in the cases of Cory Bennett of Sampson County and Cedric Hobbs of …

Research indicates that people in recovery from opioid abuse who are on medication-assisted treatment for at least one to two years have the greatest rates of long-term sobriety. (Adobe Stock)

NC Expands Treatment for Opioid-Use Disorder in Jails

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina is spearheading an effort to make medication assisted treatment available to people in jail or prison who are in …

Civil rights groups are challenging the judicial system's use of cash bail in Alamance County. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Three Plaintiffs, ACLU Challenge Cash Bail System in Alamance County

GRAHAM, N. C. - The American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups have filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of three people being …

One-in-5 women and 1-in-71 men in the United States will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lives, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (Adobe Stock)

NC Lawmakers Pass Bill Supporting Right to Revoke Consent

RALEIGH, N.C. — State lawmakers have voted unanimously to close legal loopholes related to consent and sexual assault. The loopholes made North …

More than 3,000 people currently are being held in solitary confinement in North Carolina's state prisons. (Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit Challenges NC State Prisons' Use of Solitary Confinement

RALEIGH, N.C. — Four plaintiffs and the ACLU of North Carolina have filed a class-action lawsuit in a Wake County Superior Court against the …

Roughly 300,000 people come into contact with North Carolina's justice system each year, according to the Carolina Justice Policy Center. (Adobe Stock)

Citations Instead of Arrests Lower Wilson County Incarceration Rate

WILSON, N.C. – Police officers in Wilson County are taking steps to reduce the region's high incarceration rate by issuing citations to people …

The Racial Justice Act, passed in 2009, allowed North Carolinians on death row to present evidence that racial bias played a role in their death sentences. The law was repealed in 2013. (Adobe Stock)

NC Supreme Court Considers Racial Bias Claims in Death Penalty Cases

RALEIGH, N.C. – In the coming weeks, six North Carolinians currently on death row will find out if they will get new hearings and be re-…

There are currently 142 people on death row in North Carolina prisons, according to the state's Department of Public Safety. (Adobe Stock)

NC Wrongful Conviction Spotlights Problems with Death Penalty

DURHAM, N.C. - The case of North Carolinian Charles Ray Finch, 81, released last month after more than 40 years in prison for a 1976 murder he did …

Each year, more than 20,000 people are released from North Carolina prisons. Finding employment is often one of their biggest challenges. (Adobe Stock)

NC Bill Aims to Help Nonviolent Offenders Improve Job Prospects

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina legislators are pushing for reforms to make it easier for people to expunge nonviolent criminal offenses from their …

A new poll found that when North Carolina voters considered a range of alternatives to the death penalty, including restitution to victims' families, only 25 percent favored the death penalty. (ACLU)

Criminal Justice Experts Say NC's Death Penalty Should Be Abolished

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Criminal justice experts in North Carolina are calling the death penalty part of a "sordid history" of racial terror…

A poll shows voters across party lines are concerned about racial bias in death-penalty cases; 47 percent voted for Donald Trump and 45 percent for Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election. (Center for Death Penalty Litigation)

Poll: Death Penalty Supporters are the New Minority

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina has long been considered a pro-death penalty state, but a first-of-its-kind poll found voters overwhelmingly …

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NC: Criminal Justice