NC inmate safety, juvenile justice changes begin Wednesday

All or portions of over two dozen laws the North Carolina General Assembly approved this year took effect as the calendar changed to December. Measures starting Wednesday are designed to protect expectant mothers behind bars in part by prohibiting their shackling. They also raise the minimum age for prosecuting children in juvenile courts from 6 to 8 years old. All law enforcement officers are now required to report a fellow officer’s apparent excessive force to a superior. The legal process by which a family can review police body camera footage has been altered. And there are tougher rules on stealing catalytic converters and police equipment.