North Carolina Department of Correction news release

March 28, 1997

Dan River Prison Dedicated

Ceremonies dedicating the new Dan River prison Work Farm at Yanceyville Tuesday are the first in a series of 1997 openings that will add prison space and put more inmates to work.

State Correction Secretary Mack Jarvis told people at the Dan River dedication that the new prisons are part of the dramatic change in the state's correction system over the last four years. "Paroles have dropped 54 percent since 1993 and inmates are serving longer sentences now than they were 20 years ago. For the first time in years, the Correction Department has taken control of the prison system and slammed shut the revolving prison door."

Since 1994, 6,379 prison beds have been added to the state correction system and space for another 5,560 prisoners is under construction. When the currently funded prison construction is completed, the state prison system will have space for 35,482 prisoners.

At the end of 1996, the state prison system held 30,775 prisoners compared with 20,986 at the end of 1993.

"This new prison space means that violent offenders stay in prison longer," Jarvis said. "These new prisons provide the tools to better manage prisoners and to put more prisoners to work."

Dedication ceremonies will soon be held for Hyde Correctional Center, Warren Correctional Institution, Polk Youth Institution and the North Piedmont Correctional Center for Women. Hyde and Warren are medium security prisons for adult males. Polk is a close security prison for male youth. The North Piedmont unit is a minimum security prison for females.

The Dan River Prison Work Farm will provide space for another 650 inmates. The prison sits on a 175-acre site that provides space for farming operations that will supply produce year-round. The prison has a squad room and loading area that will make it easy for correction staff to ready 13 prisoner work squads for work assignments help9ing local governments and public agencies.

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