prisons

Perdue backs Easley proposal

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:15:14 -0500

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has endorsed fast-tracking state projects.

In a statement today, Perdue backed Gov. Mike Easley's recent call to speed up $700 million in state spending on prisons, colleges and other public projects to boost the economy.

"Bringing the right state projects on-line quickly is a part of my plan for our state’s economic recovery — and I will also push to accelerate infrastructure investment by nonprofits and through federal funding," she said.

Perdue said she would also argue for increased federal funding in roads, schools and military construction at a meeting on the economy with President-elect Barack Obama Tuesday.

"These projects matter because they create construction jobs in the short term at a time when private development has slowed and rates and labor costs are low," she said. "Done right, they add the roads, rail lines, labs, and university buildings we need to spur growth in the long run and transition our economy."

Easley: Fast track projects to boost economy

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:49:14 -0500

Gov. Mike Easley is fast-tracking infrastructure projects to boost the economy.

In an announcement today, Easley said he will put more than $700 million in capital improvement projects on the front burner, including education and public safety projects.

"North Carolina is holding her own in job creation but we are not immune from national economic trends, which means we have to take aggressive steps to minimize any hardships," he said.

The following projects will be put on the Council of State's Jan. 6 agenda for approval:

* Colleges: Construction at East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State, A&T State, N.C. School of the Arts, N.C. Central, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Greensboro: $477.2 million.

* Prisons: Women's health and mental health facility, $45.2 million. Minimum security additions in Scotland, Bertie, Tabor and Lanesboro: $63.9 million.

* Agriculture: Agricultural centers and farmer's market expansions: $11.8 million.

* Ports: Construction in Morehead City and Wilmington: $7 million.

* Environment: Oyster hatchery: $4.3 million. Polar bear zoo exhibit: $2.7 million. Green Square complex: $107 million.

* Cultural resources: CSS Neuse building: $2.9 million.

Time off for good behavior?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:52:55 -0500

Correction Secretary Theodis Beck will not be joining Governor-elect Beverly Perdue's administration.

Beck is retiring effective Feb. 1, after nearly 10 years as the top official over the state's prison and probation system, Dan Kane reports.

The department is one of the state's largest with roughly 20,000 employees who oversee 37,000 inmates and 125,000 probationers or parolees. The department's budget is roughly $1 billion.

He began his career as a probation and parole officer in 1975. He has served as director of the Division of Adult Probation and Parole and as a deputy secretary in charge of the divisions for prisons and community corrections.

Beck has overseen tremendous growth in the prison system during his tenure, with several new prisons built during that period.

He currently is working to fix a probation system under fire after the high profile killings of two Triangle-area college students raised questions about how well probation officials are keeping track of offenders.

Donnan's letters to the editor

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:42:44 -0400

Mary Fant Donnan is no stranger to newspapers.

In recent years, the candidate for the Democratic nomination for labor commissioner had two letters to the editor published in the Winston-Salem Journal, her hometown newspaper.

(In Dome's experience, that means she's probably written a few more that didn't make the cut.)

The first letter ran on Oct. 29, 2002. It praised her neighbor Becky Johnson, then running for state House District 93.

"She would work tirelessly to use the best of her experience to give Winston-Salem a statewide presence," she wrote. "She can work across party lines and represent the interests of Winston-Salem."

The second letter ran on Nov. 29, 2006. It questioned the need for a state prison in Grayson County, Va., where Donnan grew up.

"The stretch where the new prison is proposed, by Molly Osborne Shoals, is one of the most beautiful," she wrote. "Locating a prison there does not make sense."

Both letters show Donnan trumpeting a lost cause. Johnson lost to Republican Rep. Bill McGee by nearly a 2-1 margin, while construction went ahead on the state prison in Grayson County.

House passes budget, 104-10

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:28:48 -0400

The state House overwhelmingly passed a $21.3 billion budget proposal today that provides modest pay raises for teachers and most state employees, does not raise taxes and borrows roughly $550 million for construction at prisons and public universities.

The vote was 104-10. The budget bill now moves on to the Senate, where leaders say they expect to make their changes by the end of next week, Dan Kane reports.

"This budget proposal does address the critical needs of our state at a time when economic circumstances have made that difficult," said House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat.

The proposal raises spending by 3.3 percent over the current budget, or roughly $690 million. House Republicans said they appreciated the modest budget growth and no new taxes.

Infirm inmates to be released?

bkrueger — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:57:19 -0400

Legislation that may move some of the most expensive inmates out of state prisons -- those considered so infirm they are no longer a threat to society -- could come up for a vote in the state House next week.

A House judiciary committee unanimously approved legislation today that creates a means for the release of inmates who are geriatric, terminally ill or are permanently and totally disabled, reports Dan Kane.

Prison officials estimate about 160 inmates would be eligible for release if the legislation becomes law.

Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand's legislation overwhelmingly passed the state Senate last session. Rep. Deborah Ross, a Raleigh Democrat and chairman of the House judiciary committee, said she wanted the Correction Department and health care providers to look at the legislation during the interim before she took it up.

Ross said today that she is satisfied that the legislation protects the public, saves the state money and makes sure that those released from prisons are provided adequate care.

"It's good legislation on a number of levels," Ross said. "First of all, it frees up prison beds for younger, violent offenders."

Dealing with crowded prisons

bkrueger — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:11:47 -0400

State lawmakers showed little interest today in avoiding another big prison construction bill this session.

In fact, they laughed when Rep. Ronnie Sutton, a Pembroke Democrat, asked whether they would look at legislation that spends more on prevention and less on incarceration, reports Dan Kane.

"Is there anyone that thinks we're going to change our mode of operation?" Sutton asked, after lawmakers listened to a report of options to deal with a rapidly growing prison population.

Today, the state prison system is again out of space. Prisons Director Boyd Bennett said he has sent notice to county jails that they will have to hold convicted and sentenced inmates until a new 1,500 bed prison opens up in Columbus County at the end of summer.

The prison, though, is only a temporary fix. Projections show that the system could be 1,800 inmates over capacity by 2012.

SBI investigating Black Pest Control

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:37:27 -0500

The State Bureau of Investigation is looking into Jon Black.

Investigators have opened an inquiry into how the son of former House Speaker Jim Black received contracts to provide pest control at three state prisons, Dan Kane reports.

The inquiry comes after The News & Observer reported last month that Black Pest Control, a Charlotte-based company, had won the work despite charging roughly three times more for the work than the low bidder.

George Zaborowski, a former project manager for a subcontractor at two of the prisons told The N&O that he was ordered to hire Black Pest Control at its price to satisfy a state lawmaker whose vote was critical for the prisons' construction.

Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby initially saw no reason to look into the contracts. But on Thursday, he confirmed that he wanted the SBI to conduct a "preliminary inquiry."

"Some of the matters that were publicly reported were things that called into question the bidding process," Willoughby said. "I felt like I needed a better understanding of what had gone on in order to make an informed decision about the necessity of a criminal investigation."

More after the jump.

Black's son won bids

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:00:00 -0500

A company owned by the son of disgraced former House Speaker Jim Black won contracts to provide pest control at three state prisons.

But Black Pest Control was not the lowest bidder.

The 67-year-old company, based in Charlotte, was paid $124,000 for prison construction projects in Bertie and Green Counties, although a Virginia-based business bid $42,000 for the same work.

A project manager for a subcontractor on the construction projects said that two officials with Centex Construction pressured him to hire the company.

Jon Black declined to comment. (N&O)