North Carolina Department of Correction news release

More prison work crews and more probation and parole officers

September 15, 1997

Raleigh - The Department of Correction will soon see more prison work crews and more probation and parole officers to supervise sex offenders thanks to the 1997 legislative session which concluded in August.

"I am pleased with the actions of the General Assembly in regards to funding Governor Jim Hunt's priorities," said Correction Secretary Mack Jarvis. "More prisoners will be put to work and sex offenders will be supervised more closely."

Legislators approved nine new road squads to be located at Hyde Correctional Center, Warren Correctional Institution and Wayne Correctional Center. Twenty-seven officers will supervise 108 inmates cutting brush and clearing rights-of-way.

Six new probation and parole officer positions were approved to more closely monitor sex offenders. This means people will be safer in their neighborhoods and communities.

Based on structured sentencing population projections by the Sentencing Commission, the Division of Adult Probation and Parole will receive 233 new positions. This is in addition to the six positions earmarked for supervising sex offenders.

"The new positions will help us to maintain manageable caseloads and make us more effective in our supervision," said Secretary Jarvis.

Lawmakers gave a one year extension to a pilot boot camp after-care program in New Hanover, Nash, Edgecombe, Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties.

Lawmakers also approved Gov. Jim Hunt's proposals to streamline the correction budget. To increase efficiency, out-of-state inmates are being moved to new North Carolina prisons savings taxpayers $21 milllion a year.

Other savings include more than $8 million over the next two years in food expenses. This is done by calculating prison food costs on the average daily population instead of capacity.

Eighteen managerial positions were cut saving the state $1 million annually.

The Department of Correction will increase the money it pays to county jails for housing misdemeanants by nearly 25 percent.

"Taxpayers can expect to continue seeing inmates hard at work and more supervision of the state's offenders by additional officers," said Secretary Jarvis.

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