PDF SAFE RETURN: North Carolina’s Experience With Bringing People Home Early From Prison
As a result of litigation initiated during the height of COVID, more than 13,400 people were granted “early reentry” from prisons across North Carolina between February 2021 and July 2022. During that same approximate period of time, the Durham County (NC) District Attorney’s Office consented to the release of 64 people serving lengthy sentences, saving nearly 600 years of incarceration. Only one of the 64 people returned to prison after their release.
As part of its focus on reframing public safety, Southern Coalition for Social Justice took a closer look at these efforts and their outcomes to determine whether early reentry and prosecutorial “second look” approaches can and should be continued—and perhaps expanded in the future. After a close analysis of public records from the Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Correction, and Durham County, the conclusion was that these measures— which saved hundreds of years of incarceration and potentially millions of dollars, and had no adverse effect on public safety—should be widely adopted and expanded.