North Carolina Department of Correction
Division of Prisons
 

Dan River Prison Work Farm -- Correction Staff

There was a lot of competition for the 165 jobs at the Dan River Prison Work Farm.

"We established a screening and interview process that allowed us to interview a very diverse pool of applicants and make excellent selections in hiring," said Dan River Superintendent Wayne Moore.

Approximately 50 percent of the people hired were from Caswell County. There was an even split between new hires and transfers. Many employees transferred from nearby prisons such as Blanch Youth Institution or Alamance, Caswell, or Orange correctional centers.

"We presented Dan River as a place where employees could enter and progress up a career ladder in the Department of Correction," Moore said. "We employed and sustained equal employment opportunities with gender and minority placement."

More than 1,000 people applied for jobs at the prison and there were 10-15 applicants for each position.

For Eugene Chrisp, moving to Dan River meant a promotion from correctional officer to sergeant. Chrisp will supervise correctional officers overseeing inmates at work in the farming operation. "We'll keep up with their work schedules and make sure the surroundings are safe," Chrisp said.Eugene Chrisp
For Sarah East moving to Dan River meant a promotion to program supervisor. "I was attracted by the opportunity for promotion and the chance to help open a new facility," East said. "We've had a good start with a great group of people."Sarah East

"This will be my first go-round with minimum custody inmates," said Captain C.T. Debause who moved to Dan River from Blanch, a close security prison for youth. Debause works with an assistant superintendent and two correctional sergeants in supervising the prison's 13 community work squads.

Jenifer Rayl is one of those sergeants. "I was intrigued by the idea of the work farm and then there was the promotion," she said.

Elaine Best and D.C. Petress supervise the prison kitchen. Best is the food service supervisor, a promotion for her. Petress is the assistant food service supervisor. When Rockingham Correctional Center was closed, she moved to Dan River. Both leave prisons that housed less than 50 inmates. They say managing a kitchen and inmate workers that serve 650 will be a change. So will working in a new kitchen, after working in 50-year old facilities.

Sgt Ronnie Carter"I've been here since it was started and wanted to see it through," said Sgt Ronnie Carter who supervises the medium security inmate construction crew.

"We provide security and the engineers have supervised the construction," said Sgt. Joe Hoover who works with Carter. "At one time, we had up to 80 inmates working here. They've done a fine job. They've taken pride in the project."


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