Criminal Law Reform

We are working to stop racially-biased policing and reform our criminal justice system so that law enforcement is accountable and transparent, fewer people are wrongfully arrested and incarcerated, and those who are incarcerated are treated with respect.

Collage featuring photos of a judge's gavel, prison bars, and a statue of Lady Justice holding scales.

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.

The Latest

Press Release
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Advocates Seek to Reinstate Gender Affirming Care for Incarcerated People in NC

Issue Areas: Criminal Law Reform, LGBTQIA+ Equality
Court Cases: Kwiatkowski v. Dismukes
Press Release
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Advocates and Mothers Seek Class Action Over Delays in Mental Health Services for NC Jail Detainees

Issue Areas: Criminal Law Reform
Court Cases: Disability Rights NC v. NC DHHS
Press Release
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Department of Public Instruction to Investigate Complaint at Durham Youth Home

Issue Areas: Criminal Law Reform
Press Release
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Más de 40 Lideres de Charlotte, Aliados en Todo el Estado Apoyan la ACLU- NC Solicitación de Archivos Públicos Sobre las Medidas Severas de Inmigración Federal en Carolina del Norte

Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights, Criminal Law Reform
Court Case
Mar 26, 2026

Disability Rights NC v. NC DHHS

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is violating the rights of disabled pre-trial detainees in NC jails by failing to ensure timely evaluations and treatment for people who lack capacity to understand the legal proceedings against them, according to a federal lawsuit.
Court Case
Mar 13, 2024

North Carolina v. Hasson Bacote

Court Case
Dec 21, 2022

Zayre-Brown v. North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NC DAC)

The ACLU, ACLU of North Carolina, and Patterson Harkavy LLP have sued the NC prison system on behalf of Kanautica Zayre-Brown, a transgender woman incarcerated at Anson CI, for failing to provide her essential gender-affirming health care.
Court Case
Apr 06, 2026

Durham County Youth Home Complaint

On December 12, 2025, the ACLU of North Carolina and the Duke Children’s Law Clinic filed a systemic state complaint with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), alleging that Durham Public Schools denied legally required education services to students with disabilities detained at the Durham County Youth Home. Youth homes house young people who are detained while their cases move through the juvenile legal system. Many of the youth in these facilities have identified disabilities requiring special education services. The complaint alleges that Durham Public Schools failed to provide students with disabilities with the educational support and services to which they are legally entitled. Specifically, it raises concerns that beginning in February 2025, the Youth Home implemented a near-total suspension of educational services, including special education services, during a facility-wide lockdown. Students were reportedly confined to their cells between 22 and 24 hours per day and received education services for no more than 30 minutes at a time. Even after the lockdown was lifted, students reportedly continued to receive only minimal instruction. In January 2026, DPI declined to investigate the complaint, stating that it contained “insufficient facts to support the alleged violation.” The ACLU of North Carolina and the Children’s Law Clinic refiled the complaint in February 2026 with additional evidence. On March 12, DPI announced that it will open an investigation into whether Durham Public Schools complied with federal and state laws governing special education services for students detained at the Youth Home. The agency has indicated that it expects to complete its investigation and issue a final report by April 25, 2026. If violations are found, DPI may require Durham Public Schools to take corrective action to bring the facility into compliance with special education law.