Safe Return: North Carolina’s Experience with Bringing People Home Early from Prison

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Carolina sent thousands of people home “early” from prison. Many of these individuals had their release dates moved up by days or months; others had their existing sentences cut by decades. Across the board, a massive number of prison years were avoided and millions of taxpayer dollars saved— with no negative impact on public safety. Further, these early releases allowed people to get an earlier head start on reconnecting with their families, friends, and communities.

As part of its focus on reframing public safety, Southern Coalition for Social Justice took a closer look at these efforts and their outcomes to determine whether early reentry and prosecutorial “second look” approaches can and should be continued—and perhaps expanded in the future.