N.C. Department of Correction--Correction News--October 1998
News Briefs
McLendon receives national award
Mae McLendon, director of the Office of Citizen Participation with the Division of Prisons, was recently awarded the Mary Church Terrell Award by the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice during its Silver Anniversary National Conference and Training Institute held in Orlando, Fla. McLendon was given the award for her activism for positive change in the criminal justice system on the state and national levels.
NABCJ, an affiliate of the American Correctional Association, is a multiracial, non-partisan association of criminal justice professionals and community leaders dedicated to improving the administration of justice. There are more than 4,000 members in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. The North Carolina state chapter has more than 200 members.
In addition to coordinating the community volunteer, Napoleon Hill and Think Smart programs for the Division of Prisons, McLendon also serves on the Board of Governors of the American Correctional Association, she is chairperson of the District 41 chapter of the State Correctional Association and is a member of the Board of Governors of the State Employees Association of North Carolina.
Tragedy averted at Avery
An observant inmate and well-trained correctional officer were instrumental in averting a tragedy during a recent visit at Avery Correctional Center. Roy Hudson, an inmate at the medium-custody facility, observed 3-year-old Shana Marie Goble choking. Hudson picked up the child and carried her to Correctional Officer Frank Neas for assistance.
"I heard someone choking," said inmate Hudson. "I saw it was a child, so I picked her up and ran with her to Officer Frank Neas. I could see that the child was not getting any air and was choking."
Officer Neas determined that the child was choking on a piece of hard candy that had become lodged in her throat. The officer utilized the Heimlich Maneuver, and after several attempts, a piece of hard candy was dislodged from the child’s throat and normal breathing resumed. The child was taken to the hospital for evaluation and released.
Wayne officers save inmate’s life
 Officers David Wiley, Paul Howell and |
Wayne correctional officers Paul
Howell, Steve Parker and David Wiley recently helped save
an inmate’s life while supervising a road squad
working along Highway 11. While working, one of the inmates was stung by bees three times. The officers checked the inmate’s condition and then notified officials at their unit who told the officers to bring the inmate in. Before they could get back to the prison, the inmate’s airway started to swell shut and he began choking and having trouble breathing. |
Officer Howell held the inmate’s tongue down while Officer Parker held his jaws apart to keep his airway open. The inmate stopped breathing three times before help could arrive. Doctors at the hospital where the inmate was taken and EMT workers said there was no doubt that the officers had saved the inmate’s life.
Foothills officer assists with fire
Terry Anderson, a correctional officer at Foothills Correctional Institution, recently played a key role in helping a local volunteer fire department when he noticed flames coming from a hosiery mill located approximately 75 yards from his home.
Anderson immediately called 911 and reported the fire. A few minutes later, the North Catawba Volunteer Fire Department responded. Anderson went to meet the fire department and joined in helping the other firemen, pulling hose lines off the trucks, carrying ladders and anything else that could be done without the necessary fire safety equipment. In the meantime, several other fire departments were called to the scene and were there for hours, however, Cajah’s Mountain Hosiery Mill couldn’t be saved.
In a letter thanking Anderson for his help, fire chief Randy Swanson said, "Whenever an incident of this magnitude arises, it is great to know that we can count on each other for any type of assistance needed." u