

Restore Second Chances in North Carolina: Bring Back Parole


Restore Second Chances in North Carolina: Bring Back Parole
The Issue
North Carolina’s Structured Sentencing laws, enacted in 1994, eliminated meaningful parole opportunities for thousands of incarcerated individuals. While intended to create consistency, this system has removed hope, reduced incentives for rehabilitation, and contributed to unnecessary long-term incarceration.
Today, many individuals who have demonstrated growth, accountability, and transformation remain incarcerated with no opportunity to be reevaluated.
We believe in accountability—but we also believe in redemption.
We are calling on North Carolina legislators to:
Reintroduce a fair and transparent parole system
Allow individualized review based on rehabilitation and conduct
Prioritize release for aging, low-risk, and reformed individuals
Restore hope and incentive for positive change within correctional institutions
This is not about being “soft on crime.”
Bring back second chances.
This is about being smart, just, and humane.
Bring back parole.

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The Issue
North Carolina’s Structured Sentencing laws, enacted in 1994, eliminated meaningful parole opportunities for thousands of incarcerated individuals. While intended to create consistency, this system has removed hope, reduced incentives for rehabilitation, and contributed to unnecessary long-term incarceration.
Today, many individuals who have demonstrated growth, accountability, and transformation remain incarcerated with no opportunity to be reevaluated.
We believe in accountability—but we also believe in redemption.
We are calling on North Carolina legislators to:
Reintroduce a fair and transparent parole system
Allow individualized review based on rehabilitation and conduct
Prioritize release for aging, low-risk, and reformed individuals
Restore hope and incentive for positive change within correctional institutions
This is not about being “soft on crime.”
Bring back second chances.
This is about being smart, just, and humane.
Bring back parole.

7
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on June 4, 2026