Removing Barriers to Work Through Commonsense Reforms

 

In 2024, the NC Chamber released polling on the general direction of North Carolina, broad criminal-justice reform topics, and a few specific policies that have been circulating through the legislature over the last few years. At that time, it was clear that voters were concerned about the economy and open to solutions that help get North Carolinians back to work.

That trend continues today in a poll of likely voters released in a webinar this week. While perspectives on the criminal justice system differ, reform itself does not appear to be well understood.

Gauging General Support

Without defining criminal justice reform, 70% of voters polled support it and14% oppose – these findings are aligned with the 2024 poll data. Those polled who feel the least safe are the least supportive of reform, potentially due to a view of reform meaning soft on crime.

How to Keep Communities Safe

When asked the best way to keep communities safe responses differ by voter affiliation. The public strongly prefers investing in prevention, but Republicans hold the opposite view, wanting instead to invest in policing.

Why Reform?

When it comes to why criminal justice reform could be needed, voters polled expressed equal support for stopping a family from entering a financial spiral for a mistake and wanting to stop a return to crime as the top reasons. Republicans were most likely to say none of the reasons were convincing but still expressed the same two reasons as the most convincing.

What is Responsible for Crime?

In assessing what is most responsible for crime in the community, deterioration of the family and a lack of access to mental health or substance-use-disorder treatment were outliers for the top reasons. Too many being released from prison had barely any support at 3%.

Examining the potential sources of responsibility, there were significant differences along party lines with 38% of Republicans citing the deterioration of family and 11% noting the lack of access to treatment. Not having enough police on the streets also garnered 11% of Republican support. Democrats expressed lack of access to treatment as the top reason (22%) and systemic racial inequality and too many guns on the street came in behind that each seeing 15%. Age also plays a factor with guns seeing a rise among those over 65 while concerns about systemic racial inequality pops among those under 45.

For undecideds on the generic ballot, the deterioration of the family is more than double any other area as being responsible for crime in the community.  Easing re-entry can help build families and it is possible that it might earn support from those voters.

Understanding Reform

Nine potential criminal justice reform measures were explained to voters and each received overwhelming support from those polled. Even among voters who were undecided about criminal justice reform generally, each measure received significant support and the same is true of voters who expressed opposition to criminal justice reform.

This support translates to the ballot box with the majority of those polled saying they would support a candidate that advocates for criminal justice reform. Even among those who initially say they strongly oppose reforms, by the end of the study 59% of those individuals say they would vote for an advocate.

So What?

Connecting individuals with a job so they can contribute to society and provide for their family is critical to the health of individuals and communities. Criminal justice reform does not mean soft on crime, it means aligning our policies and regulations to provide a pathway forward for an individual to re-enter society productively.

Debt-based driver’s license revocation only compounds a problem by preventing an individual from being able to get to their job and earn money to pay those initial fees.

The NC Chamber will continue to champion policies that assist with the modernization and removal of barriers to allow justice-involved individuals to return to the workforce.

For more information on criminal justice reform and how it can accelerate our state’s economy, visit the Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform.