NCJ Number
220128
Date Published
June 2006
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This paper outlines recent criminal justice funding trends in North Carolina at the State level, and the impact that this has produced for the entire State system and for each of its major justice and public safety components.
Abstract
While each component of the North Carolina criminal justice system faces unique problems, issues, and challenges as a direct result of this funding shortage, the net effect invariably impacts the other components and has cumulatively produced a “system in crisis.” This crisis has been felt by the general public and will only continue to negatively impact the citizens’ views of the criminal and juvenile justice systems in the future. With the advent of numerous other issues dominating the headlines, such as Iraq, terrorism, the state of the economy, gas prices, and health care, the result has been a decline in funding for the criminal justice system. The most substantial funding cuts have occurred in the Federal juvenile justice and Byrne/Justice Assistance Grant program which are the primary Federal funding source for the State’s criminal and juvenile justice systems. While criminal justice funding has dropped, the workload or activity of the system has risen. The cumulative effect of the current economic and fiscal funding situation in conjunction with rising system activities and expenditures is producing, and if trends continue will further exacerbate, a “system in crisis.” This paper is divided into two primary sections: State appropriations by criminal justice component and emerging issues by criminal justice component outlines the decline in funding, resultant problems from the decrease in funding, and emerging issues and needs of the North Carolina Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems. Figures, references