DPS Dispatch

Ground was broken on the imposing stone fortress known as Central Prison in Raleigh 150 years ago as convicts wielded shovels and chipped granite blocks from a nearby quarry to build its 30-foot walls.

Pilot program working to help those under supervision break drug dependency.

The holidays are upon us and that means people will be hitting the road. AAA estimates that 49.3 million travelers will be on roadways this year, and that will be the most since 2005. With more traffic on the streets, drivers can expect delays and an increased risk of accidents.

Every year, millions of women, children and men around the world become the victims of human trafficking., subjecting them to forced labor or sexual exploitation.  North Carolina consistently ranks within the Top 10 states with the most reported number of human trafficking cases. 

Former warden Dennis Daniels looks back with a sense of pride and accomplishment on his nearly 40 years of service in the only fulltime work environment he ever knew. 

Members of the Prisons’ Special Operations Response Team, along with a member from the Prisons’ Special Operations Target Interdiction Team (Snipers), placed third overall in the 2019 North Carolina Tactical Officer’s Association 26th annual SWAT Competition at the NC Justice Academy in Salemburg

Pender Correctional Institution Officer Joshua Clark was stuck in traffic because of an accident when he noticed two men wrestling in a ditch and a State Highway Patrol cruiser on the shoulder.

Chief Probation and Parole Officer Lauren Patterson was just a child the first time she volunteered with Operation Christmas Child, a ministry project of Samaritan’s Purse that provides children in need around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items and school supplies.

Two North Carolina prisons’ food service personnel were honored recently by the Association of Correctional Food Service Affiliates’ Annual International Conference Vendor Showcase in Memphis. Central Prison Correctional Food Service Manager Conell Chapman was presented with the 2019 ACFSA Operator of the Year Award, while Maury Correctional Institution Food Service Manager Clarence Godley received the ACFSA Heroism Award for his actions during Hurricane Florence.

The holidays are upon us and that means people will be hitting the road. AAA estimates that 49.3 million travelers will be on roadways this year, and that will be the most since 2005. With more traffic on the streets, drivers can expect delays and an increased risk of accidents.

As the new Commissioner of Prisons, I’ve traveled the state, visited all of our prisons and listened to the concerns of the staff.

I’ve reached some conclusions.

Great things are being done by the men and women who manage our offender populations.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is highlighting topics such as election security, insider threats, cyber-physical convergence and protection of our hometowns as part of November’s Infrastructure Security Month.  

On Monday, the Department of Public Safety will proudly celebrate Veterans Day and say “thank you” to the men and women who have served our country, especially to the more than 2,600 veterans who work at DPS.

Disaster can strike at any time, in any season. Practicing emergency plans regularly and updating emergency supplies semi-annually is an important and even lifesaving habit to keep.