The NC Second Chance Alliance is a statewide alliance of people with criminal records, their family members, service providers, congregations, community leaders and concerned citizens that have come together to address the causes of criminal records and the barriers they create to successful reentry.
Forward Justice is a founding member of the Second Chance Alliance, because we believe that it takes bold, collective action to create change.
Through our work with the Alliance, we have advocated for legislation like the ‘Second Chance Act’ (NC Senate bill 562) that expands eligibility for expungement, as well as access to expungement through automation practices, thereby removing barriers to reentry. Learn more about the The NC Second Chance Alliance here.
A major component of the Second Chance Alliance is the bi annual lobby day, which has occurred since 2011. Every two years the Alliance holds a lobby day to provide an opportunity for Alliance members to mobilize allies to attend Second Chance Advocacy Day, coalesce around a set of criminal justice reform policy issues, and engage directly with their elected representatives on the issues that most intimately affect their lives.The most recent lobby day, on May 7th 2019, we stood with 1,000+ directly impacted community members at the General Assembly to share stories with lawmakers and advocate for legislation that supports second chances for people impacted by the criminal legal system. The day after our demonstration, the Second Chance Act (Senate Bill 562) Passed the Senate unanimously. A victory for the Second Chance Alliance and a victory for North Carolinians. The bi-annual lobby day continues to be a day focused on the priorities and needs for those with records.
2021 Advocacy Day
