The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Mark Fleming as the new warden of Pamlico Correctional Institution in Bayboro.
He had been associate warden at Maury Correctional in Maury since 2018.
“Warden Fleming is an exceptional leader with deep knowledge of the prison system and a wealth of experience,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “He knows the prison he now leads, having started his career there more than two decades ago. He is an excellent addition to the men and women who run our prisons with care and compassion.”
In his new position, Fleming is responsible for all operations at the Pamlico Correctional, which houses roughly 500 medium custody male offenders.
A veteran employee to state government, Fleming began his career in 1999 as a correctional officer at the prison, a year after it opened as a private prison owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America. In October 2000, the state assumed operational management and later purchased the facility from CCA.
In 2007, Fleming was promoted to sergeant at the prison. He transferred to Maury Correctional on his promotion to lieutenant in 2011 and earned the rank of captain there in 2014.
He was promoted again in 2016, to assistant superintendent at Maury Correctional and named associate warden in 2018. He has served as acting interim warden since August 2021.
Fleming earned an advance criminal justice certification from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission last year. He has received advanced training in crisis intervention, leadership coaching, mediation, mentoring and employment interviewing.
One of Fleming’s top priorities as warden is to hire and retain high-quality staff members.
“We have good jobs for dedicated people who want a career in public service, to help to protect their families and communities and to be part of a mission bigger than themselves,” he said. “These are important jobs with good benefits.”
The prison he now leads focuses on preparing offenders for transition and re-entry by providing educational and personal growth opportunities.
Pamlico Community College provides a variety of courses, including human service technology, masonry, horticulture technology, plumbing, carpentry, computers information technology, electrical systems technology, dental technology, business administration, and developmental education.
Adult basic education and high school equivalency classes prepare offenders for their general education diplomas. Rehabilitation and treatment programs include Cognitive Behavior Intervention, Napoleon Hill, Anger Management, Thinking for a Change, Focus on Freedom, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
Pamlico Correctional Institution also has a New Leash on Life program in partnership with the Carteret County Humane Society, Pamlico Pals for Paws, and other community supporters.