The News & Observer: Could 'ban the box' find bipartisan support in North Carolina?
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In 2013 alone, nearly 50,000 people statewide were either newly placed on probation or released from prison. A 2016 report from the state courts system found that within two years, about 40 percent of them had been arrested again.
It’s difficult to separate race from the debate over “Ban the Box” laws. Most of the bill’s sponsors are black, and Holmes, who is also black, noted that “minorities are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system.”
However, Holmes said, people of all races and political leanings have criminal records – and she hopes legislators of both parties can get behind it.
A 2016 survey of registered voters in swing states found 67 percent of North Carolinians would support a national law to “remove barriers that make it more difficult for released prisoners to find jobs.” The survey was conducted by the Tarrance Group, a Republican strategy firm, and paid for by the Justice Action Network, which supports criminal justice reform.