Criminal Justice

in committee · North Carolina · Senate Feb 17, 2025

SB 94: Repeal Death Penalty.

SB 94 would eliminate the death penalty in North Carolina by repealing all legal provisions allowing it as a sentencing option. It directly affects all current death row inmates, who would be resentenced to life imprisonment without parole, and future defendants convicted of capital offenses, who would receive life without parole instead of the death penalty. Key mechanisms include removing the death penalty from murder statutes (like G.S. 14-7.12), repealing related procedures (such as evidence retention for death penalty cases), and updating sentencing rules to mandate life without parole for violent habitual felons. The bill makes no exceptions for specific crimes or circumstances, replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole as the sole alternative. This is a substantive policy change that would end capital punishment in North Carolina if enacted.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRepealing death penalty eliminates irreversible punishment, aligns with criminal justice reform by protecting defendant rights and reducing harsh sentencing.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole Sentencing

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in committee · North Carolina · House Feb 27, 2025

HB 216: Continuous Alcohol Monitoring Accessibility and Sustainability Act.

HB 216 creates a Continuous Alcohol Monitoring Fund funded by a 5-cent charge on each bottle of alcohol sold in North Carolina. This fund provides court-ordered continuous alcohol monitoring as a sentencing option for individuals unable to pay for the service themselves. The bill amends tax and sentencing laws to direct proceeds from the alcohol tax to the fund, which the court can use to cover monitoring costs for qualifying defendants. It directly affects low-income individuals convicted of alcohol-related offenses who would otherwise face barriers to this monitoring requirement.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates 5-cent alcohol tax to fund court monitoring for low-income defendants, directing tax revenue to a public service program.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates fund via alcohol tax to provide court-ordered alcohol monitoring for low-income defendants, reducing financial barriers in DWI sentencing and promoting equitable access to alternatives to incarceration.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Sentencing

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 129: Booking Photograph Privacy Act.

SB 129, the Booking Photograph Privacy Act, prohibits North Carolina law enforcement agencies from releasing booking photographs - images taken during arrest or jail processing - making them confidential and not public records. The law directly affects individuals arrested and processed by police departments, sheriff's offices, or other law enforcement agencies. It bans publishing, distributing, or releasing these photos except when connected to a missing person report or if a court orders release for immediate law enforcement needs. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects arrestee privacy by restricting public release of booking photos, aligning with civil rights and reducing potential harm from unregulated law enforcement record disclosure.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits public release of booking photos, strengthening digital privacy protections for arrest records under data privacy framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts Policing

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 12, 2025

HB 367: Provide Rape Kit Status Updates to Victims.

HB 367 requires North Carolina's State Crime Laboratory to provide sexual assault victims with updates on the status of their examination kits. Victims will be notified if their kit cannot be tested, if testing is declined for reasons other than untestability, or if the kit is scheduled for destruction. The law mandates that the lab develop procedures for these notifications but specifies victims must provide and maintain current contact information. This law takes effect October 1, 2025, applying to all kits submitted before, on, or after that date.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates victim notifications for rape kit status, enhancing transparency and rights in sexual assault cases within criminal justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights Violent Crime

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 446: Prohibition on Disclosing Booking Photographs.

HB 446 prevents law enforcement from sharing booking photographs (taken during initial arrest) with websites or publications that require payment to remove the photos. It requires those "pay-to-remove" sites to delete such photos within seven business days if the person was not convicted (and provides proof of dismissal, acquittal, or expungement). Sites that fail to comply face civil penalties, including $100 per day for each day the photo remains visible. This directly affects individuals arrested but not convicted and "pay-to-remove" online platforms.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePrevents exploitation of pre-conviction arrest photos, protecting civil rights and reducing stigma - aligns with criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 20, 2025

SB 353: The Second Chance Coding Act.

SB 353, the Second Chance Coding Act, requires North Carolina's Division of Juvenile Justice to create a program teaching coding and computer skills to juveniles in youth development centers. The program must include specialized courses, industry certification opportunities, and workforce connections like mentorship and job placement to help these youth transition into careers after release. Implemented by January 1, 2026, with $250,000 in funding for 2025-2026, the bill aims to reduce recidivism by improving job prospects. It directly affects youth committed to juvenile facilities, focusing on concrete skill-building rather than speculative outcomes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $250,000 for juvenile coding program under appropriations/budgeting subjects, explicitly funding a public service initiative.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds coding education for juveniles in correctional facilities to reduce recidivism, directly supporting rehabilitation-focused criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationFunds vocational coding program for juveniles in correctional facilities, expanding educational access and workforce readiness within education policy.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides vocational coding training with job placement for juvenile offenders, directly enhancing workforce readiness and employment opportunities through workforce connections and certification.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds coding education and IT skills training for juveniles, directly advancing tech workforce development through vocational programs and industry certifications.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Career & Technical Education Professional Licensing Workforce Development

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 20, 2025

SB 350: Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act.

SB 350, the Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act, would legalize recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older in North Carolina, allowing possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis, 15 grams of concentrate, or products containing no more than 2,000mg THC. It establishes a regulatory framework requiring licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, and retail sales, with mandatory lab testing, potency labeling, and restrictions on advertising. The bill directly affects North Carolina residents over 21, cannabis businesses, and communities disproportionately impacted by past cannabis prohibition - addressing the ACLU finding that Black individuals were 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for possession than white individuals despite similar usage rates. Key provisions include creating three funds to reinvest tax revenue into affected communities for substance abuse treatment, education, and business support, while requiring licensed businesses to prioritize diversity, fair wages, and community investment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill includes excise taxes on cannabis sales with 'reinvestment' language, implying tax revenue funds community programs, aligning with fiscal support indicators.85% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeLegalizes cannabis, removes criminal penalties for possession, and includes expungement of records - directly advancing criminal justice reform by reducing convictions and enabling record clearance.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue Drug Policy

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 25, 2025

SB 421: Prison Reform Omnibus.

SB 421, the "Fair and Rehabilitative Prison Labor Act," replaces outdated North Carolina prison labor laws to ensure incarcerated individuals receive fair pay, vocational training, and protections. It requires prison labor programs to pay at least $5 per hour (or state minimum wage for PIECP-certified programs), prioritize job skills for post-release employment, and prohibit using prison labor to displace migrant or seasonal agricultural workers. The bill mandates annual transparency reports on wages, hours worked, and job impacts in agriculture, and requires labor market assessments before agricultural contracts. These changes directly affect incarcerated people in North Carolina prisons, prison labor programs, and agricultural businesses that contract prison labor.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates fair prison labor pay, vocational training for reentry, and prohibits displacing agricultural workers - directly advancing rehabilitation and reducing recidivism per criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationProhibits prison labor from displacing migrant agricultural workers, protecting immigrant laborers' employment in agriculture.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SB 564: Public Safety Through Food Access Act.

SB 564, the "Public Safety Through Food Access Act," allows North Carolina to opt out of a federal ban that denies food assistance and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits to people convicted of drug-related felony offenses. It directly affects individuals convicted of Class H or I drug felonies who meet specific conditions: they must complete six months without new offenses and successfully finish or actively participate in a substance abuse treatment program approved by mental health authorities. The bill requires county social services to link food and TANF benefits to this treatment requirement, as permitted by federal law. The policy change takes effect January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestores food/TANF benefits for drug felony offenders completing treatment, promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism - direct criminal justice reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

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died · North Carolina · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SB 565: Investment in Pinetops' Police Department.

SB 565 appropriates $150,000 annually from the state General Fund for Pinetops' police staffing needs during the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, and $100,000 one-time for equipment in 2025-2026. The funds are directed as grants to Pinetops' police department to address staffing and equipment requirements. This bill directly affects the Town of Pinetops' police operations through state-funded support. It becomes effective July 1, 2025, and does not alter existing laws or policies.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $150k annually and $100k one-time from state General Fund for Pinetops police staffing/equipment, directly increasing state funding for public safety services.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds police staffing and equipment for Pinetops, directly supporting law enforcement operations within criminal justice framework.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Policing

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