North Carolina
| June 23, 2011: Governor Beverly Perdue signs the Justice Reinvestment Act (House Bill 642). |
Articles
1/29/2012 – Star News Online: “Justice Reinvestment Act ‘changes everything’”, by Brian Feskos
”...The Justice Reinvestment Act arose as North Carolina, buffeted by an ailing economy, was seeking to trim government spending. The law is projected to save the state $293 million in corrections spending over the next six years…”
1/12/2012 – Washington Daily News: “Sweeping changes to N.C. law”, by Vail Stewart Rumley
”... the Justice Reinvestment Act was created, enacting sweeping changes to sentencing, to the public safety system, and the way in which all public safety offices interact.”
12/28/2011 – Washington Examiner: “More NC misdemeanor offenders to jail, not prison”, by Emery Dalesio
“Thousands of misdemeanor offenders will serve their time in local jails instead of a state prison under a change in state law taking effect next week.”
11/22/2011 – The Daily Tarheel: “The NC probation system is still seeing changes three years after Eve Carson’s murder”, by Jeanna Smialek
“Reforms to be implemented Dec. 1 and Jan. 1 will make it harder to revoke probation, will require that all felons are supervised upon prison release and will reroute offenders from prison to probation.”
9/21/2011 – News & Observer: “Emptiness slowly fills old Durham prison“
“After 86 years, the Durham Correctional Center is closing its doors – one of four state prisons being shuttered this fall because of budget cuts. The GOP-controlled legislature acted in keeping with the recommendations of Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue and the reforms under the Justice Reinvestment Act, a law passed by the legislature earlier this year which are designed to slow prison construction by relying more heavily on sentencing and probation for nonviolent criminals.”
9/20/2011 – The Star News Online: “Justice system, from jails to courts, to see changes“
“In April 2010, not longer after North Carolina spent a record $1.5 billion on prisons and corrections over the course of a single budget year, Gov. Beverly Perdue announced the beginning of an ambitious, bipartisan initiative intended to recast the criminal justice system to both reign in spending and make the public safer.
The N.C. General Assembly responded by passing landmark legislation in June to address those challenges, but the implications of such an far-reaching overhaul are still coming into view.”
6/15/2011 – North Carolina – NewsObserver.com: “NC probation, prison changes backed at Legislature“
“Significant changes to North Carolina’s sentencing and probation laws designed to keep better track of offenders and discourage recidivism while scaling back prison construction are heading to Gov. Beverly Perdue’s desk.”
6/02/2011 – North Carolina News Network: “House approves bill aimed at reducing prison population”, by Josh Ellis
“State House lawmakers advanced a bill that supporters say will reduce the state prison population and deter probation violations. The House tentatively passed the measure with a vote of 107-9.”
2/27/2011 – The News Observer: “Hard Time”, by Editorial Staff
“The “law and order” movement gave advocates of cracking down on criminals, major and minor, satisfaction that justice was being done. Sentences grew longer and judges had less leeway in punishing those convicted. Doing time, by golly, meant people would learn their lessons. That was the mantra of many a get-tough politician in both political parties.”
2/21/2011 – The Charlotte Observer: “NC criminal system would get makeover in report”, by Gary D. Robertson
“North Carolina could save hundreds of millions of dollars while improving public safety and reducing the need for thousands more prison beds if state lawmakers approve several proposals, an outside group studying criminal justice data suggested Monday.”
2/16/2011 – Fay Observer: “Editorial: Numbers – To ease prison crowding, don’t let the show go on.“
“Rising crime is only one cause of prison crowding. It’s time to give another cause, political showmanship masquerading as reasoned reform, the same critical scrutiny.”
2/13/2011 – The Associated Press: “NC’s effort to reduce repeat offenders moves ahead”, by Gary D. Robertson
“An effort to reduce the number of repeat criminal offenders in North Carolina, and in turn inmate beds, is moving ahead even with leadership changes at the General Assembly.”
1/09/2011 – Winston-Salem Journal: “Sapped by prison costs”, by JOURNALNOW STAFF
“There’s nothing like a fiscal crisis to persuade politicians to stop wasting money. At least North Carolina taxpayers can hope so when the legislature receives several criminal-justice reform proposals later this month.”
12/31/2010 – The Star News Online: “N.C.’s challenge: Cut the cost of administering justice while cutting crime rate”, Editorial
“In the past two decades, North Carolina has done a better job keeping its violent criminals behind bars. But the sentencing system that was designed to bring truth and predictability to sentencing also has led to less supervision in many cases for repeat nonviolent offenders. Some of them go on to commit violent crimes, and police and prosecutors often blame the Structured Sentencing laws for allowing too many second chances.”
04/22/2010 – The News and Observer: “N.C. Joins Effort to Cut Crime Costs”, by Michael Biesecker
“North Carolina will work with the U.S. Justice Department, the national Council of State Governments Justice Center and the nonprofit Pew Center on the States to study why so many young people end up in prison and to invest in new programs aimed at addressing the root causes of crime and recidivism.”
02/26/2010 – Jacksonville Daily News: “Looking At Dollars Spent on Justice “
“We have a prime opportunity during the next year or two to step back and take a look at whom we send to our state prisons and how long we require them to remain behind bars.”
“North Carolina state government will partner with the Council of State Government’s Justice Center to conduct a ‘justice reinvestment’ study.”
02/21/2010 – Associated Press: “NC Working to Stem Prison Crowding Problems“
“North Carolina is ready to begin a comprehensive effort to figure out how to curtail its swelling prison population, and state leaders hope it will create neither additional fears about public safety nor another political football on crime.”
02/20/2010 – Jacksonville Daily News: “State to Look At Ways to Reduce Crime”, by Barry Smith
“The state of North Carolina will partner with the Council of State Government’s Justice Center to take a broad look at the state’s corrections system to see if money can be reinvested in strategies that reduce crime.”
Multimedia
Videos
Watch Governor Bev Perdue’s news conference from April 21, 2010 announcing the beginning of North Carolina’s Justice Reinvestment work.
April 21, 2010: Secretary Keller, Sen. Kinnaird and Rep. Stam speak on Justice Reinvestment