Secretary Beck appoints Bennett to head Division of Prisons

North Carolina Department of Public Safety

Secretary Beck appoints Boyd Bennett to head Division of Prisons

RALEIGH, Jan. 26 -- Secretary Theodis Beck today named Boyd Bennett as the director of the Division of Prisons, effective Feb. 1.

"In my many years of working with Boyd Bennett, I have found him to be a committed employee who carries himself in a very professional manner," said Secretary Beck. "With his knowledge of prisons and their operations, I have the utmost confidence that he is prepared to assume this role."

A Rockingham County native, Bennett, 51, began his Department of Correction career in 1972 as a probation officer in Lexington. He moved to the Division of Prisons in 1978 as a program director in the North Piedmont Area office in Winston-Salem. From there, Bennett worked his way up the ranks, serving as the North Piedmont area administrator, and as a regional director before assuming the position of director of support services in August 1999.

"My faith and trust in the staff make me confident in my ability to manage the organization," said Bennett. As director of prisons, he will be responsible for the management of 78 prisons, 15,000 employees and a $760 million annual budget.

Bennett is a graduate of Guilford College and received a master’s degree in public administration from N.C. State University in 1976. He and his wife Ann have two children David, 14, and Rachel, 10. The family lives in Raleigh.

Bennett will replace J.B. French, who is retiring Jan. 31.

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EDITORS: For a jpeg photo of Bennett, please contact the Public Information Office at (919) 716-3700.