Opinion
The case for 2nd-chance entrepreneurs in NC
As important as government efforts like Reentry 2030 are, I believe the most powerful engine of second-chance success isn’t policy — it’s entrepreneurship.
Opinion
To end NC’s prison crisis, pay corrections officers fairly
NC prisons are truly in crisis, and have been for some time. Some prisons have correctional officer vacancies over 50%.
News
Should N.C. prison system be restored as a standalone agency?
The N.C. prison system, comprising 55 facilities and employing roughly 16,000 staff, is one of the largest agencies in the state. That might surprise some, as prisons, from the real estate they occupy, to the critical role they play in governance, are not foremost in our minds when it comes to policy. In 2011, after...
Opinion
N.C. prison system setting people up to fail
Imagine a man serving a 20-year prison sentence. He’s told when to eat and what to wear, and he lacks the option of opening a door. He has little to no independence or free will. This man, like so many prisoners in North Carolina, spends a long time in solitary confinement. Solitary confinement, also called...
News
Audit: Physician at prisons billed for thousands of hours not worked
A new audit shows that a physician contracted by the state Department of Public Safety to provide services to five prisons over-billed taxpayers by more than half a million dollars between 2011 and 2014. The report, by State Auditor Beth Wood’s office, recommends that DPS seek reimbursement from the physician and that the department also should...
News
Legislators Face Decision on Prisons
RALEIGH — North Carolina could soon face another scramble for prison space if legislators fail to act on the problem this year, according to a recent budget briefing for the General Assembly.
