Criminal Law Reform

Far too many North Carolinians have become ensnared in a legal system that criminalizes poverty, disproportionately targets and incarcerates people of color, and all too often lacks transparency and accountability.

When law enforcement officers do something wrong, they are rarely, if ever, held accountable. Racial bias, both explicit and implicit, has fueled widespread disparities in which Black and Latino residents are subjected to street stops, vehicle searches, marijuana arrests, and even the use of deadly force by police at an alarming rate.

The ACLU of North Carolina is working with communities across North Carolina to stop racially biased policing and dramatically shift our broken legal system so that law enforcement is accountable and transparent, fewer people are wrongfully arrested and incarcerated, and when someone does end up in jail or prison, they are treated with respect and given an opportunity to successfully return to their communities.

We are also working to end the death penalty and solitary confinement, reform the use of body cameras, empower community oversight of law enforcement, and uncover and combat excessive court fees that have created modern-day debtors prisons in which the poor receive harsher, longer punishments for committing the same crimes as the rich, simply because they are poor.

Ultimately, we are working toward a North Carolina where every person is treated fairly, where communities are empowered, and where justice is guaranteed for all.