House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) issued a release on criminal justice reform legislation House lawmakers approved.. | Rep. Tim Moore/Facebook
House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) issued a release on criminal justice reform legislation House lawmakers approved.. | Rep. Tim Moore/Facebook
Rehabilitation for nonviolent criminals will be allowed with the North Carolina First Step Act, which the state House of Representatives approved in June as a way to enact more criminal justice reform.
“While strengthening victims’ rights in our state constitution, this General Assembly has raised the age of juvenile jurisdiction, offered many nonviolent offenders a second chance on their criminal records," House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said in a news release on June 17 published to his website about the reform, "and now has taken this step to let judges do their jobs, by reforming many mandatory minimum sentences."
The new legislation gives a judge discretion in sentencing nonviolent offenders instead of following the mandatory minimums for conviction of the criminals.
“We urge the Governor to follow President Trump’s lead and sign the First Step Act to help judges rehabilitate nonviolent offenders based on the specific circumstances in each case instead of mandatory minimums sentences for everyone," Rep. Holly Grange (R-New Hanover) said in the press release.
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