Chief Justice Burley Mitchell administers the Oath of Office to Secretary Theodis Beck.

RALEIGH — A crowd of more than 300 people assembled in the Old House Chamber April 26 as Theodis Beck was sworn in as the new Secretary of Correction.Gov. Jim Hunt, Chief Justice Burley Mitchell,

former Correction Secretary Franklin Freeman, former Correction Secretary Mack Jarvis, family,friends and correction employees were among the host of hundreds to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

"As secretary, Theodis is going to mean great things for the Department of Correction," Gov. Hunt said. "I trust that under his leadership, our communities will continue to become safer, dangerous criminals will be kept behind bars longer, and our inmates will continue to work hard."

After vowing to uphold the U.S. Constitution, Beck assured the governor that under his leadership, the Department will continue to operate in a smooth and efficient manner.

"We will continue to get the job done," Beck said. "That is my commitment to you and to the citizens of North Carolina. We will view obstacles and challenges as opportunities to excel. We will examine ourselves with the same type intensity that a skilled

prosecutor cross examines a hostile witness on the stand, looking for efficiencies and areas to make improvements."

Beck is the first probation and parole officer to rise through the ranks to become secretary of the Department. He began working for the DOC in 1975 as a probation and parole officer in Asheville. In 1983, he was selected to become one of the original eight intensive supervision officers in the state, making frequent home and work visits to his caseload of probationers and parolees to ensure they were obeying the law.

In 1988, he became assistant branch manager for the western area probation and parole office headquartered in Asheville. He came to Raleigh in 1993 to serve as the assistant director for programs and support services for the Division of Adult Probation and Parole.

In 1995, Beck became the first African-American to head the Division of Adult Probation and Parole and, in 1997, the first African-American to be named deputy secretary.

During his swearing-in ceremony, Beck told those in attendance that the Department will continue to do its part to help make North Carolina a safe place to live for all of its citizens.

"Probation and parole officers will continue to knock on doors and use technology to monitor the activities of offenders assigned to the department’s supervision by the courts and the parole commission. And we will continue our work as partners in the community, in schools and with law enforcement," he said. "Our prisons will continue to provide fair and humane treatment to those assigned to our care, custody and control, and we will be relentless in our efforts to make all able-bodied inmates work hard along our highways and all across this state where there is a need for our services."

Following the swearing-in ceremony, a reception was held at the Governor’s Mansion in honor of the Department’s newest secretary. Another reception was held May 18 in the Correction Enterprises’ conference room in Raleigh, giving all correction employees the opportunity to meet their new secretary.

Beck is a 1970 graduate of N.C. Central University, where he earned a B.A. in sociology. He is also a graduate of the N.C. Public Managers Program, which provides state-sponsored classes on effective management practices. From 1970-72 he served in the U.S. Army, where he rose to the level of sergeant.

He also served as a first sergeant for eight years and a drill sergeant for 12 years in the U.S. Army Reserves before retiring in 1997.

Beck and his wife, Jean, have two sons, Theodis T. who is a student at N.C. Central University and Marlon who is a student at Wake Technical Community College. u