North Carolina
Contact Information
The mission of NC Child is to advance public policies that improve the lives of North Carolina’s children.
Legislation
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Raise The Age NC: Explanation of Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act
Type of Reform
In 2017, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation to “raise the age” of juvenile jurisdiction—a huge victory for North Carolina youth and families! Beginning in December 2019, the vast majority of 16- and 17-year-olds in North Carolina will no longer be treated as adults in the criminal justice system. Learn more here.
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Bill Number: SB 257 - WIN!
Type of Reform
Raise the age - This bill raises the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 18 years old, except for certain felonies.
Year: 2017
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Bill Number: SB 635 - WIN!
Type of Reform
Sentencing Reform - eliminating juvenile life without parole for all youth convicted of second degree murder, and requiring a person convicted of first degree murder, and under the age of 18 at the time of the crime, to serve twenty five years in prison before becoming parole eligible
Year: 2012
Reports
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What Caused the Crime Decline
The report What Caused the Crime Decline (2015), by authors Dr. Oliver Roeder, Lauren-Eisen, and Julia Bowling identifies a recent phenomenon- the dramatic decline of crime over the past two decades. Authors Roeder, Eisen, and Bowling analyze this through forty years’ worth of data of each of the fifty states and their largest cities. This includes the $260 million dollars that Americans annually spend on the criminal justice system in hopes of protecting lives and property. In addition and contrary to what most people believe, they hypothesize that harsh criminal justice policies were not the main reason for this cause. In fact, they believe it is centered on social, economic, and environmental factors and the introduction to new data techniques used by police.
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From Push Out to Lock Up: North Carolina’s Accelerated School-to-Prison Pipeline
This report (2013) presents a statewide overview of the various segments in North Carolina’s school-to-prison pipeline that move vulnerable students into the court system: underfunded schools, harsh discipline, increased policing of school hallways and a lack of adequate intervention programs or alternative education placements. The final section of the report proposes four recommendations to begin dismantling the school-to-pipeline: 1. Raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 16 to 18 for youth who commit misdemeanor offenses; 2. Implement evidence based reforms to ensure equitable treatment for all students in North Carolina; 3. Improve data collection and reporting requirements to better inform school administrators, parents and policymakers; and 4. Establish a legislative task force on school discipline policies.
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The School-to-Prison Pipeline: Implications for North Carolina Schools and Students
This report (2013) examines how school-based offenses are processed in North Carolina and determine if there are any disparities with regard to race/ethnicity in how these offenses are handled. This report builds upon the literature reviews and the School-to-Prison Primer developed first for the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.
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Cost-Benefit Analysis of Raising the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction in North Carolina
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Raising the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction (2011), by authors Christian Henrichson and Valerie Levshin is referenced from the Youth Accountability Planning Task Face (YAPTF) in the state of North Carolina in creating a cost-benefit analysis of the policy change in determining at what age is a child legally considered an adult and may be tried as one. It’s validity ranges upon the type, severity, and occurrences of the offenses by the youth.