Long after you’ve served your jail time or prison sentence, paid your fines, and finished out your probation, your criminal record will continue you to follow you. For many offenders in North Carolina, their criminal record represents the gravest consequence associated with a conviction. While incarceration and fines are painful, a criminal record can be life-altering and will remain with you for the rest of your days.

With a criminal stain on your permanent record, you may find it difficult to find employment, secure housing, or obtain a loan. You may be [...]

When discussing America’s educators with reporters from WNCN, State Superintendent June Atkinson maintained, “99 percent-plus of our teachers behave in a very ethical manner.” That number may be true, but the small percentage of teachers that do taken advantage of their position of trust can cause big problems.

Across the state, lawmakers, advocates, and parents alike are speaking out against sexual misconduct between teachers and students. According to reports from Stop Educator Sexual Misconduct, one in 10 students is affected by sexual misconduct from their teacher between kindergarten and the 12th grade—roughly [...]

The short answer is: not very. The longer answer is that it depends on what you mean by “legalizing marijuana.”

There’s no denying that the laws surrounding marijuana in our country are changing—and fast.

Today, twenty-three states plus the District of Columbia have laws in place that legalize marijuana in some form. In 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington approved a landmark initiative to legalize the recreational use and sale of marijuana. In Alaska, adults can possess, purchase, and carry up to an ounce of marijuana and six plants. In Oregon, adults will [...]

Amtrak train Carolinian No. 80 was making its way from Charlotte to New York when it slammed into a tractor trailer at an intersection in Halifax County. The driver of the truck had been struggling to make a left turn when the train appeared and struck the rig. The force of the collision sent debris flying, and caused the locomotive and baggage cars of the train to derail.

While the driver of the trailer was not injured, 55 of the 212 aboard were rushed to the hospital. The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the [...]

Click through the hundreds of photographs of sex offenders in the North Carolina online sex offender registry, and the effect is chilling.

The faces of men and women alike stare back at you, some of them older, many of them young. Some of them wear blank or undecipherable expressions, while others wear undeniable expressions of fear, anger, and shame. Click on a photo of one of the offenders, and you’ll be taken to a page with detailed information on their appearance, address, and criminal history.

This is the fate of sex offender convicts [...]