Image: Adobe Stock
[Editor’s note: A new ‘must read’ report from authors Gene Nichol and Heather Hunt of the North Carolina Poverty Research Fund at the UNC School of Law provides a powerful and damning examination of the ways in which poverty has become, in the words of one knowledgeable attorney, “the foundational principle of what’s going on” in North Carolina’s juvenile justice system.
As Nichol explained in an email introducing the report:
Although fines and fees are less pervasive in the state’s juvenile system than in criminal court, our experts told us that they are regularly assessed, often in the form of attorney’s fees. Because most kids in juvenile court are poor, these additional fees represent a real burden for families that are already financially fragile. Additionally, kids who are prosecuted as adults are charged the full range of court costs, fines and fees that adult defendants have to pay.
Must read report: The price of poverty in North Carolina s juvenile justice system
ncpolicywatch.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ncpolicywatch.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
San Luis Obispo County deputies searching human trafficking suspect from Madera
abc30.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc30.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
My View: Barnstable s big on citizen engagement
Paula Schnepp
Citizen engagement. I’ve seen it in abundance this week: citizens in Centerville meeting with DPW staff to hear about the location of a pump station and five Town Councilors in attendance; Comprehensive Financial Advisory Committee(CFAC) members debating then recommending ways to finance our 30-year wastewater plan; our youth learning and providing feedback about wastewater and climate change; and residents weighing in at Planning Board and ZBA meetings on proposed zoning changes.
In Heather Hunt’s Op-ed last week, she called out the town for failing to fully engage its citizenry, especially around issues on zoning changes. I think she’s mistaken. While I believe there’s always room for improvement, I know that the Town Council is fully committed to making sure all residents, whether retired or working two or three jobs, homeowners or renters, have a voice at the table. What I can’t guarantee is that