Forward Justice Action Network

“In 2024, a local advocacy group, the Appalachian Rekindling Project, bought a small but critical portion of land where the proposed prison would be. The group secured 63 acres of 500 total. Supporters of the prison project said it will bring much-needed economic development to the region. No building construction has yet begun.” —WUKY

Check out this article featuring Forward Justice attorney Whitley Carpenter.

North Carolina court fees have increased drastically over the past two decades, said Whitley Carpenter, a staff attorney at Durham-based Forward Justice who manages the campaign. Carpenter says the base cost of court has tripled from $61 to about $180, and the number of different fees a district court can assess has risen from four to 45.

When people can’t pay, the debt follows them and can jeopardize employment opportunities, housing, and a cascade of other consequences.

https://law.duke.edu/news/criminal-defense-clinic-advocating-broader-context

July 26th marked 100 days until the 2026 midterm elections! We will be sharing resources in the coming weeks so you are fully prepared to vote on November 3, 2026! We invite you to check out our Protect Our Vote NC campaign website at protectourvotenc.org for important voter protection resources and events in NC.

Our 501c3 arm has released their highly anticipated 2025 Annual Report! Check out the strides Forward Justice made in 2025: https://issuu.com/forwardjustice/docs/2025_fj_annual_report?fr=sZWY1ODY4NTQxMzY

Thousands of people in NC are permanently banned from SNAP and TANF due to felony drug conviction policies. Join us and NC Justice Center to support the RESTORE Act and end the federal SNAP/TANF felony ban!

➡️ https://tinyurl.com/45j4eujn

🌴✈️ NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO! Travel with Dontae as he visits Aruba in pt. 2 of his travel vlog! Dontae tries new restaurants, explores the city, connects with the locals, and drops gems-all while enjoying the beauty of living life on his own terms. Pt. 2 is coming soon! Like and subscribe so you don't miss it! Tap in & travel with Dontae ▶️ (link in bio)

Check out a few photos from Director of Special Projects, Attica Scott, in Aspen with Aspen Ideas Festival: Health and her Aspen Global Innovators Healthy Communities Fellowship!

They moved the lines, captured the courts, and gutted the law, and still, still, we are here. Sovereign, rooted, organized, and unmovable. moves in twelve cities from the historic Black Belt to Charlotte, July 7 through August 28.

They moved the lines. Now we move the people. Join us → demnc.co/freedomrising

We joined a coalition of organizations that sent a demand letter concerning the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) deficient environmental review process as mandated by federal law under the National Environmental Policy Act.

We are calling on the BOP to rescind its Record of Decision (ROD) with regards to the agency’s proposed development of a new Federal Correctional Institute and Federal Prison Camp in Letcher County, KY. It is statutorily necessary for the BOP to:

1) rescind the ROD;

2) re-open the environmental review process by issuing a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SDEIS); and

3) conduct a new round of public hearings and comment periods for this SDEIS and any subsequent issuance of a supplemental final environmental impact statement.

View the full release here: https://www.buildingcommunitynotprisons.com/blog/federal-officials-must-review-new-environmental-concerns