N.C. Department of Correction--Correction News--February 1997
The Next Four Years
by Mack Jarvis
This is an exciting time for all employees in the Department of Correction as we move ahead into the 21st century and as one who started here as a correctional officer, I am greatly privileged to be the secretary of this tremendous department for the next four years.
We will continue to put Gov. Jim Hunt's agenda in place, making dangerous criminals serve their time, putting more inmates to work, making the criminal justice system work better and making government more efficient. As correction employees, we have all worked hard these past four years from opening new prisons to developing community punishment programs. although we are further ahead of the curve than most states, we still have quite a bit of work left to do to make this correctional system the best in the world.
My plans are to keep this department on the same progressive track started by Franklin Freeman four years ago. In addition, we will use Gov. Hunt's work first program to keep people off welfare and in solid jobs. We have a number of new initiatives that will help North Carolina run as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Many of the basic tools of the Department of correction have remained the same over the years, some with little modification. for example, when I started work as a correctional officer, those who knew ho to use a typewriter were quickly promoted. Today, those with computer skills are in great demand. In the not-too-distant future, the entire criminal justice system will be connected by computer for quick access to criminal records, strengthening the entire system. the Department of correction will be ready to meet these and other challenges that lie ahead.
The next four years will bring continued growth and an even bigger demand for training. We will continue to develop new programs and fine-tune the old ones. Each and every employee contributed to the big picture and as you expect me to do the best that I can, I too, will expect the best from all of you. Let's work together to make the Department of correction the best team in state government.