RALEIGH, N.C. (April 2, 2025) — A federal judge has denied issuing a judgment before trial in a lawsuit challenging the North Carolina Parole Commission’s review process for people who were children when they were sentenced to prison and ordered additional fact finding by the parties involved.
Southern Coalition for Social Justice asked for summary judgment in the lawsuit last year on behalf of Brett Abrams, who was sentenced to prison for a crime he committed when he was 14 years old (in the 80s) and has been repeatedly denied parole since 1993 despite an impressive prison record and working full-time in the community for the past 16 years.
U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers, II, in his order dated April 1, 2025, noted that “worryingly, incorrect information was included” in Abrams’ parole reviews, and that “relevant information was excluded that commissioners testified would have been relevant to their decision regarding parole.” The Court described these omissions as “concerning.”
Read the full order here.
“One would assume accurate and comprehensive summaries with relevant information would be essential where commissioners vote on more than 100 cases a day, along with performing other duties,” the Court’s order states.
Parties to the lawsuit were directed by the Court to engage in additional discovery that focuses on whether Abrams would have been granted parole had his parole file not included the deficiencies identified in Judge Myers’ order.
“We appreciate the Court’s acknowledgment that Brett’s parole file has contained misinformation and that pertinent information has been omitted,” said Jake Sussman, Chief Counsel for Justice System Reform at SCSJ. “We hope this next phase of targeted discovery will bring further truth to light, and ultimately lead to a pathway for Brett to come home.”
The lawsuit challenges the Parole Commission’s process under the Eight Amendment as being arbitrary and capricious, and failing to provide a meaningful opportunity for Abrams to demonstrate his readiness for parole.
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Southern Coalition for Social Justice, founded in 2007, partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing, and communications. Learn more at southerncoalition.org and follow our work on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.