The North Carolina Forward Party believes the rigorous study of issues relating to the causes and consequences of crime, victimization, the operation of the criminal justice system, policing, courts, and correction is essential for understanding the root cause of criminal motivation and behavior in our state. This entails understanding the consequences of advocating for legislation to enact, amend, or repeal criminalizing, decriminalizing, or legalizing certain substances and behaviors.

Expungement

We advocate that North Carolina’s expungement laws should be extended or clarified to make it permissible for a person who has successfully been granted an expunction of a criminal record to affirm, i.e., “check the box”, during an employment application that they do not have a criminal record. This will allow the candidate to have favorable opportunities when seeking employment as well as eliminate any legal question associated with misrepresenting criminal history.

Cannabis

Many of our members believe that liberalization of cannabis laws is overdue. America has a template for doing this based on our experience with Prohibition that allows states to tightly regulate the sale, and counties to even prohibit the sale entirely within their borders, with possession remaining legal. Cannabis legalization and regulation is broadly popular in America, however and we should embrace that consensus. Not all of our members will support legalization, but many will support decriminalization, medical use, and/or allowing states to make their own choice.