Gov. Cooper commutes 15 death sentences, but North Carolina still needs comprehensive justice reform

This action is the most significant act of clemency for death row in our state’s history.

During his last weeks in office, Governor Roy Cooper issued pardons of forgiveness and commutations. This includes the commutation of sentences for 15 people on North Carolina’s death row. These come at the end of a series of almost 50 pardons and commutations granted during Cooper’s time as Governor. The commutations would not have been possible without the people behind the clemency petitions, their families, and the community members who have relentlessly fought to uplift their stories.

The North Carolina Justice Center commends Governor Cooper for addressing the injustices embedded in our state’s death penalty, yet we acknowledge that there is much more work to be done.

“The NC Justice Center and its allies have worked to redefine clemency as a pivotal mechanism to address the deep-rooted inequities embedded in our justice system,”

NC Justice Center Executive Director Reggie Shuford says. “The governor’s power of clemency is not just a legal mechanism. It’s a powerful symbol of our capacity for growth, forgiveness, and redemption.”

Cooper’s clemency action underscores the importance of the advocacy work championed by the Decarcerate Now! NC Coalition and the Vigil for Freedom and Racial Justice. The Vigil reminds us that the fight is far from over, and every commutation or pardon brings hope to families still waiting for a second chance for their loved ones.

“This clemency action is a reminder that every case represents a human life impacted by our flawed system, and each human life has value.” says Quisha Mallette, a Staff Attorney with the NC Justice Center’s Fair Chance Criminal Justice Project. “Moving forward, North Carolina needs bold, comprehensive reforms to ensure that more people have opportunities to return safely to their communities. Justice should not be determined by race, wealth, or outdated policies.”

121 people remain on death row in North Carolina, and countless others are behind bars still waiting for their second chance.

We call on Governor Josh Stein to build on this momentum and use his powers of clemency.

“It’s critical to recognize that justice delayed is justice denied,” Shuford says. “We hope that our new governor, Josh Stein, will seize the moral obligation of this moment to enact comprehensive changes to our broken criminal legal system.”

The Vigil for Freedom and Racial Justice aims to uplift the voices and experiences of those currently incarcerated, focusing on the individuals’ names, faces, families, and the impact of the carceral system on communities. The coalition continues to call for the immediate release of those who are ill, elderly, in prison for technical parole violations, those incarcerated as children, as well as the commutation of all death sentences, all of which are affected by racial bias.