GRANT SPICER RETIRES AS WESTERN AREA ADMINISTRATOR

Hickory - His daughters remember two escaped inmates from the Hudson prison running through their yard. Grant Spicer, clad only in sandals and shorts, grabbed his gun and caught the escapees, bringing them to the front yard where he kept a gun pointed to their heads until help came.

After 31 years, riddled with similar adventures, the Western Area Administrator retired April 30. A luncheon in Spicer's honor was held in Hickory May 16, attended by a large group of well wishers. "He brought a lot of integrity to the job," said Correction Secretary Mack Jarvis who has known Spicer since he was 17 years-old. "He put up with all the hassle and stress that the job brings, and you never saw him down and out." Spicer began working for the Department of Correction in 1966 as a correctional officer at Caldwell Correctional Center. He moved to Western Youth Institution in 1981 when he was promoted to lieutenant, then made superintendent of the Caldwell Prison in 1982. In 1993, Spicer became a district manager for the Western Area Office, and in 1993 became the area administrator.

Prisons Director Dan Stieneke said, "He's always seen his role as serving the state. He sincerely cares about people he works for, has a steady, easy-going manner and listens well to people. That's why he's gained the respect of his co-workers."

A number of retired prison superintendents were at the luncheon including H.B. Shepherd, Gilbert Brown, Fulmer Rudisell, Joe Huntley, Roy Craig, Ken Setzer, Fred Houck, Harry Carter, and the man who hired him, T.R. Joines.

NC DOC Correction News- June 1997
NC Department of Correction News
NC Department of Correction Homepage