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Justice System Reform

SCSJ’s ‘Safe Return’ Report Details Successes of NC Releasing People Early from Prison 

DURHAM, N.C. (Sept. 4, 2024) — During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Carolina safely sent thousands of people home early from prison with no negative impact to public safety, according to a new report, “Safe Return,” from Southern Coalition for Social Justice released as part of its Reframing Public Safety Series. 

Read More SCSJ’s ‘Safe Return’ Report Details Successes of NC Releasing People Early from Prison 
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Recent News

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Environmental Justice

SCSJ Commends EJAC for Addressing West Badin Pollution Concerns

DURHAM, N.C. (Sept. 13, 2024) — Governor Roy Cooper’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council (EJAC) will hold its final public meeting in Stanly County, a decision that honors the years of dedicated work by community members and advocates fighting local injustices.
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Justice System Reform

Upcoming Alamance Reentry Event Will Feature Performers, Impacted Panel Discussion

BURLINGTON, N.C. (Sept. 11, 2024) — Several organizations will come together this month to host a powerful reentry event featuring performances of stories from the Hidden Voices' project ReVisioning Rural Reentry. The stories, which highlight critical perspectives from rural communities across the state, will be followed by a candid panel discussion between three individuals who returned to Alamance County after incarceration.
voter purging, voter registration application ripped
Voting Rights

Civil Rights Groups Challenge RNC’s, NC Republican Party’s Baseless Voter Purge Request

DURHAM, N.C. (Sept. 5, 2024) — The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and an impacted North Carolina voter are requesting to intervene in a case to protect nearly a quarter of a million voters from the Republican National Committee’s and North Carolina Republican Party’s baseless attempt to force the State Board of Elections to remove them from the state’s voter rolls on the eve of the 2024 presidential election.  
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Environmental Justice

SCSJ: Duke Energy’s Carbon Plan Prioritizes Profits Over Practical Solutions 

DURHAM, N.C. (Sept. 3, 2024) — Duke Energy has made it clear — its Carbon Plan is about making itself richer, not moving North Carolina to a carbon-free future. After a lengthy expert witness hearing, Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) has filed a brief detailing the many ways Duke's plan fails ratepayers, particularly lower-income North Carolinians who disproportionately bear the costs both on their utility bills and their health. 
EJ Mapping Tool interface under letter with feedback
Environmental Justice

SCSJ Celebrates EJ Mapping Tool Success and Proposes New Features

DURHAM, N.C. (Aug. 30, 2024) — Gov. Roy Cooper's Executive Order No. 292 to advance Environmental Justice ignited a powerful commitment to combat pollution, climate change, and exploitation of marginalized communities across North Carolina. 
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Voting Rights

New Report on Voting Access Barriers in the South

DURHAM, N.C. (Aug. 6, 2024) — The Southern Leadership for Voter Engagement (SOLVE) Network is excited to announce the release of its “State of the South: Voting Rights Under Assault” report, which details the challenges millions of voters in the South will face this fall to exercise their freedom to vote.