What trends and policies will shape the work of the Department of Correction in the 21st Century? The Corrections Futures committee doesn't need a crystal ball, instead it will depend on the input of employees such as you and your vision.
| The new grant project is underway in the Office of Research and Planning and is being managed by Director Sandy Pearce, formerly with the Governor's Crime Commission and the Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission. She is joined by staff members Nicole Sullivan and Doug Holbrook. |
The project's goal is to develop a plan of action for team problem-solving and proactive management.
"We want Correction employees to rise to the challenges," said Correction Secretary Franklin Freeman who is chairing a steering committee. "The Department has made great strides in the past few years, but we have a long way to go to run this operation without letting it run all of us."
Some of the issues to be studied include how DOC will prepare for changes brought about by the 1994 Structured Sentencing Act, privatization, the new OPUS computer system, and the department's growth. The project will explore how to communicate more effectively between the DOC and the citizens of North Carolina.
In addition to regional planning teams, the committee will include input from the courts, victim's groups and community corrections workers. Together, the project leaders hope to establish clear missions and goals for the department and a common vision for success.
"This is an exciting time to be working in the corrections' field," Pearce said. "This is the time to lay the groundwork for an efficient, effective department that could be a model for other correction systems around the world. I'm looking forward to hearing your ideas."
Pearce, Sullivan, and Holbrook can be reached by writing them at 410 Oberlin Road, Suite 306, Raleigh, N.C., 27605, or by phone at 919-715-5340, or by e-mail: Pearce -Navahoe.Planning.C194180; Sullivan -Navahoe.Planning.NES01; and Holbrook -Navahoe.Planning.C19302.