North Carolina’s prisons will begin releasing some inmates in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. Erik Hooks, secretary of the N.C. Department of Public Safety, made the announcement during a news conference Monday, April 13, with Gov. Roy Cooper and members of his COVID-19…
While North Carolina leaders address a multitude of problems behind the state’s prison walls, a new national poll shows growing support for criminal justice reform. At least 75 percent of Americans think prisons need a makeover, show data from the…
N.C. Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks met a chilly reception Jan. 25 while briefing legislators on the results of a top-to-bottom prisons review. Hooks, who took office at the Department of Public Safety one year ago, faced public inquisition following two prison tragedies within his…
The N.C. Department of Public Safety must reform staffing and safety measures in light of spiking prison violence across the state, experts say. The department should hire new executives for adult and juvenile corrections, increase salaries, and recruit new prison staffers, among other things, said…
