Senator Thom Tillis' Office hosted a meeting of the North Carolina Judicial Branch Institute on February 27 and 28, 2017 at the United States Capitol Visitor Center. The agenda included a range of topics including the Federal Nomination Process, Veterans Treatment Courts, Technology and the Courts and a National Security Briefing. Also on the agenda was a Juvenile Justice Panel that was organized by the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA). The North Carolina Judicial Branch is leading a major initiative to raise the jurisdictional age of juveniles in North Carolina to include 16 and 17 year old youth. Sixteen and 17 year old youth are currently tried in the adult courts. The North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice "Committee on Criminal Investigation & Adjudication Report, Juvenile Reinvestment," makes strong and compelling statements on why the age of juvenile court jurisdiction should be raised. In the report it states that North Carolina will spend considerable funds coming into compliance with Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) to meet the requirements for sight and sound separation in housing units and for direct supervision in all other activities where sight and sound separation would be difficult. The panel that the NCJA coordinated included Ms. Evelyn Fortier, Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee, Ms. LaShunda Hill, Senior Associate, Juvenile Justice Policy at the Pew Charitable Trust, and Charles Kehoe, Kehoe Correctional Consulting, LLC, representing the National PREA Resource Center. Mr. Kehoe presented an overview of PREA and the PREA auditing process and the requirement that every Governor my either assure the U. S. Department of Justice that the correctional facilities under the State's direct control are working toward full compliance with the PREA standards or Certify to the Department of Justice that the facilities under the state's authority are in full compliance with the PREA standards. Mr. Kehoe said a state could chose not to comply with the PREA auditing process and forfeit 5% of their federal criminal justice funds in specific areas. Mr. Kehoe also discussed the standards that apply to juveniles in prisons and jails and the requirement for sight and sound separation in all housing areas. Mr. Kehoe also explained the audit protocols. Mr. Kehoe participated in the question and answer period following the presenters' remarks. _x000D__x000D_Those attending the Institute included the Chief Justice of the North Carolina (NC)Supreme Court, a Supreme Court Justice, the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Chief of Staff, two NC Court of Appeals Judges, a Superior Court Judge, a Business Court Judge, four District Court Judges, two Clerks of the Superior Court, three District Attorneys, two Criminal Defense Attorneys, the Director of NC Administrative Office of the Courts (CAOC, the NCAOC Senior Deputy Director, the NCAOC Director of Communications, the NCAOC Director of Governmental Affairs, the NCAOC Chief Legal Counsel, and the Executive Director of the North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice. In total, there were over 24 attendees.
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Thank you to the National Criminal Justice Association and Senator Tillis's Office for including PREA in this panel.
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