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News & Opinion
New Report Highlights Hurdles to Iryna’s Law Implementation
A new preliminary report from a state-funded research group identifies “key pressure points that need to be addressed” to fully implement Iryna’s Law, which passed quickly late last year. The report also outlines initial recommendations for lawmakers to help address existing gaps in North Carolina’s mental health and criminal justice systems.…
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News & Opinion
Formerly Incarcerated Man Buys Old NC Prison to Open Reentry Campus
In January 2018, Kerwin Pittman was nearing his release after more than 11 years incarcerated, unsure how he would rebuild his life. Where would he work? How would he navigate a society that had changed so much while he was behind bars? Eight years later, he’s purchased a prison. When…
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News & Opinion
Amid Shortage of Juvenile Detention Beds, Mecklenburg’s Sole Facility Sits Empty
Mecklenburg County sent the second-highest number of young people into North Carolina’s detention system last year — yet it has no juvenile detention center. In 2025, 2,186 people were admitted to juvenile detention centers statewide, according to the state Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Nearly one in eight…
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News & Opinion
Light Rail Killing Exposes Gaps in NC’s Mental Health System
In early September, video of a man stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death on a light rail car in Charlotte shocked the country. People from across the political spectrum demanded answers: How does a horrific, unprovoked attack occur between two strangers? What needs to change so something like…
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News & Opinion
Man’s Death Highlights Jump in Solitary Confinement Suicides in NC
When the calls from prison suddenly stopped in February 2024, Erik Ramsey’s family started worrying. Frequent communication was their way of trying to help the 29-year-old Ramsey, who’d been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, get through the time until his scheduled release in February 2026. In isolation, Ramsey couldn’t…
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News & Opinion
NC Juvenile Detention Centers Under Scrutiny for Use of Isolation
Teenagers in North Carolina’s juvenile justice system are routinely being locked alone in their rooms for as much as 23 to 24 hours a day, according to an ongoing federal lawsuit and advocates for young people in custody, despite state officials’ own acknowledgment of research showing that prolonged isolation causes…
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News & Opinion
Insufficient Oversight Allows Dangerous Conditions in NC Jails
Missed supervision rounds. Overcrowded facilities. Skipped fire drills. State inspectors with the NC Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Health Service Regulation routinely found these issues and more while evaluating the state’s 109 jails for compliance with the minimum operating and safety standards. Inspection failures are not rare…
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