DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION
James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Theodis Beck, Secretary
Tracy Little, Director of Public Information (919) 733-4926
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NORTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor Theodis Beck, Secretary Tracy Little, Director of Public Information (919) 733-4926 |
May 16, 2000
Flood Victim Houses Built by
Inmates Nearly Complete
By Pamela Walker
KINSTON – After just over a month on the job, the two houses being built for people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Floyd are nearly complete thanks to the continued efforts of the DOC to assist with the redevelopment of eastern North Carolina.
Inmates at Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury built wall panels for the homes that were transported to the construction site. Community Work crews from Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro and Greene Correctional Center in Maury have erected the walls and sheeting, set the roof trusses, as well as completed various interior tasks on the two homes, one on Washington Street and the other on Heritage Street in Kinston. Only the hanging and finishing of the sheet rock and installing of carpet and fixtures remain before the homes are ready for their new owners.
The housing project is a joint effort between the DOC, the N.C. Division of Emergency Management and the city of Kinston. "This partnership has been great," said Mayor John Mosley of Kinston. "I think the community will directly benefit from this project and the inmates’ skills."
"It’s a win, win situation for the community and the Department of Correction," said John Blalock, special assistant to the director of prisons and project coordinator. "The flood victims get a solid new house and the inmates develop a skill they can use when they’re released."
Inmates assigned to Community Work crews are in minimum custody and are screened prior to being placed on jobs outside the prison facility. It is anticipated that the two houses will be completed in June.
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