Chief Justice Cheri Beasley will convene North Carolina’s chief district court judges for a workshop at the University of North Carolina School of Government on Friday, November 15. The purpose of the workshop is to create action plans for the implementation of School Justice Partnerships (SJP) and Recovery Courts throughout North Carolina.

WHAT
A workshop attended by North Carolina’s chief district court judges to discuss and learn how to implement SJPs and Recovery Courts in their respective judicial districts. 

WHO
Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and chief district court judges from around the state.

WHEN AND WHERE
Friday, November 15, starting at 9:00 a.m. at the University of North Carolina School of Government. Knapp-Sanders Building, 400 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Chief Justice Beasley will be available for interviews at 10:00 a.m. Please contact Sharon Gladwell to arrange an interview. 

More Information

School Justice Partnership
Chief district court judges across North Carolina are working with community stakeholders to implement School Justice Partnerships in all 100 counties as a result of the state’s Raise the Age law, which will increase the maximum age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 16 to 18 on December 1, 2019. 

The main goal of the SJP is to keep kids in school and out of court for routine misconduct at school. The School Justice Partnership is a group of community stakeholders—including school administrators, the law enforcement community, court system actors, juvenile justice personnel, and others— who work together to establish specific guidelines for school discipline in a way that minimizes suspensions, expulsions, and school-based referrals to court for minor student misconduct. 

Currently, many students are suspended, expelled, and referred to court for minor misconduct which produces harmful outcomes for youth and their communities. Students who are suspended and expelled are more likely to repeat a grade, drop out of school, and engage in higher levels of disruptive behavior. A single suspension also triples the likelihood that a student will enter the juvenile justice system. These negative outcomes disproportionately impact certain students, including youth of color and students with disabilities, who are more likely to be suspended, expelled, and referred to court than their peers.

Recovery Court
North Carolina Recovery Courts are designed to assist chemically dependent offenders with their court ordered treatment plans.

Recovery Courts handle chemically dependent individuals in adult criminal court, juvenile, and abuse, neglect and dependency cases. Recovery Courts also serve veterans and people with mental health issues who find themselves in court. The program offers individualized treatment plans which include counseling, supervision, drug testing, sanctions, and incentives for meeting recovery goals.