Criminal justice reform

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

As an Assistant Public Defender, I have seen firsthand how our laws can punish too harshly by criminalizing poverty and being too lenient towards dangerous criminals.

North Carolina’s Criminal Law can ensnare hard-working folks struggling with poverty; this is evident in the endless cycle of driver’s license revocations from unpaid traffic tickets. No one should go to jail for being poor.

Unfortunately, a few individuals who live in our community mean harm to us. We must give prosecutors the tools needed to prosecute violent offenders and reduce gun violence.

However, I also believe in second chances, especially for our justice-involved youth. I support providing for expungement and diversion programs to keep our youth out of the system. As a law student at Campbell Law School, I volunteered in re-entry clinics and continue to support funding re-entry programs for offenders rejoining society. We should set people up for success, not failure.