Press Releases

Inmate Jermaine Johnson (#0812684) died Saturday at Marion Correctional Institution after an apparent suicide. He was found unresponsive in his cell at 8:58 p.m. Prison medical staff and local paramedics responded and worked to resuscitate the inmate but were unsuccessful.

The State Highway Patrol is proud to announce the arrival of a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) on Monday, Apr. 2 to examine aspects of the organization’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services.

State law enforcement officials have apprehended a juvenile who on March 17 failed to return to secure custody at the Lenoir Youth Development Center, following a home visit.

The Department of Public Safety has announced the first meeting of the Prison Reform Advisory Board will be Tuesday, March 20. Secretary Erik A. Hooks has appointed retired Army Maj. Gen. Elizabeth (Beth) Austin as chairperson for the board.

The N.C. Department of Public Safety is partnering with the N.C. Department of Information Technology to combat the growing threat of cyberattacks.

Gaston Correctional Center minimum custody inmate Thomas Walker (#0421574), who was reported missing from the facility Thursday night, turned himself in to prison authorities Friday at 9:25 p.m. Walker was last seen near the facility at 11:21 p.m. on Thursday.

The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice reports that a juvenile placed in its custody at the Lenoir Youth Development Center failed to return to the facility today following a home visit.

State correctional and local law enforcement officers are seeking Gaston Correctional Center minimum custody inmate Thomas Walker (#0421574), who was reported missing from the facility Thursday night. Walker was last seen near the facility at 11:21 p.m.

The Department of Public Safety today announced additional action steps taken to improve prison safety. The prison reform measures involve security policies and practices, training and hiring.

Much of North Carolina is feeling the effects of the latest winter storm, and North Carolinians should follow forecasts closely as snowfall spreads across the state, Governor Roy Cooper cautioned today.