Consensus seems like a relic of the past in today’s deeply divided political climate. In this reality, new 2025 polling from the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce offers refreshing points of agreement. When it comes to criminal justice reform, North Carolinians agree on far more than they disagree. Across party lines, geography and demographics, voters continue to send a clear message — they want practical solutions that keep their families safe and communities thriving, not empty political rhetoric.
This year’s polling echoes what we saw in 2024: Voters across the political spectrum recognize that the key to maintaining and ensuring safe communities throughout our state lies in implementing smart solutions, which cannot be achieved solely by increasing arrests, prosecutions and penalties. Instead, they support targeted, proactive programs that work, especially when it comes to steering vulnerable youth away from the justice system. Respondents identified the breakdown of the family as a key driver of crime, signaling a deeper understanding of the social and economic roots behind criminal behavior. Over 90% of North Carolina voters support intervention and support for youth charged with low-level crimes, recognizing that changing the cycles faced by vulnerable youth and offering these kids alternative paths is a far more effective use of taxpayer dollars than adding additional criminalization that funnels teens into adult crime. Rather than calling for more punitive measures against teens, voters are asking for investments in prevention, rehabilitation and support.
One noteworthy example of this shift is the widespread support for allowing individuals with drug felony convictions to access food benefits as they reenter society. Federal law singles out only individuals who have a drug felony conviction from accessing this life-changing support but allows states to opt out of this ban. Regardless of one’s broader feelings about public benefits, the fundamental purpose for which conservatives have historically supported public benefits is to prevent a person facing temporary insecurity from descending into permanent financial ruin. Allowing individuals to access basic needs — such as food for themselves and their families when they’re at their most vulnerable — is directly reflective of this purpose. Over 80% of voters recognize that helping people meet basic needs, such as food, is not just humane — it’s also smart public policy. It reduces recidivism, builds stability and gives returning citizens a fighting chance to rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities.
Crucially, the polling also makes clear that voters will not punish leaders who support these kinds of commonsense solutions. In fact, many respondents indicate they are more likely to support a candidate who backs commonsense criminal justice policies. In a state where neither of the two political parties will ever again win a statewide election by relying only on registered partisan voters, this polling offers a critical insight for policymakers: Being bold on reform isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s politically popular and a key way to expand support beyond loyal partisan voters.
The people of North Carolina want safety, opportunity and strong communities. They understand that those outcomes are not tied to how harshly we punish but to how wisely we intervene and support. And while agreement is rare in our current discourse, this much is certain — North Carolinians are united in their demand for real, thoughtful and effective criminal justice reform.
Tarrah Callahan is executive director of Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform.
