RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina leaders are raising concerns about staffing shortages at state prisons, as officials roll out a pilot program aimed at boosting hiring for correctional officers.

“The Department of (Adult) Correction has only about half of the correctional officers needed to safely operate state prisons,” said Governor Josh Stein.

Those vacancies have impacted daily operations.

“My primary goal is to make sure that everyone working at the institution and everyone that’s incarcerated there stays safe. Having critical shortages of staff makes that much more difficult. Ten years ago, it was routine to have about 28 officers and five sergeants on shift and lineup. Today you may see seven or eight officers and three sergeants on shift,” said Captain Derrick Simmons of Neuse Correctional Facility.

Simmons said shortages can limit access to rehabilitation programs for inmates.

“If you don’t have the custody staff where they have the programs, that they won’t be able to have them because they don’t have that security there,” he said.

Officials point to pay as a key factor contributing to vacancies, an issue that would need to be addressed through the state budget process. Stein is calling for a 15% raise for correctional officers, in addition to step increases, while Republican leaders have proposed average 15.4% raises with their step increases.

“Twenty years ago, our correctional officers were among the best paid in the Southeast. Now we are second to last in the country,” Stein said.

As those budget discussions continue, the state has introduced a pilot program designed to streamline hiring. The initiative uses a contingent hiring model that allows applicants to begin working in certain roles while completing certification requirements.

“We are using now a contingent hiring model to address the problem,” Gov. Stein said. “Once someone passes through the initial steps of getting hired, we put them to work immediately in other roles as the certification steps continued to play out.”

Dismukes cited workers can fill roles in the gatehouse or control booth while their certification process moves forward.

“This will allow us to bring people inside the walls and allow them to experience what it’s like to work with us before we send them through basic training,” said Dismukes.

The program has been implemented at Central Prison, Harnett Correctional, and Pasquotank Correctional. Officials say it has led to 31 new hires at Central Prison, 43 hires at Harnett Correctional, and 21 hires at Pasquotank Correctional.

“We’re hiring people at a higher rate, and we reduced the time to hire by about ten days,” Dismukes said. “So fewer people are dropping out of the hiring process along the way.”

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The North Carolina Tar Heels have had themselves quite a tense few weeks as they await the decision of Matt Able. 

Able — a transfer from NC State — is currently committed to the Tar Heels, while also keeping his name in the 2026 NBA Draft class. Able averaged 8.8 points per game as a freshman at NC State last season, and took part in the NBA Draft Combine, looking to improve his draft stock. 

Able has certainly made UNC a bit nervous this month. He was one of the more impressive players at the Combine earlier this month. Over the course of two 5-on-5 scrimmages, Able averaged roughly 16 points per game and was 7-16 from three-point range in that same span. 

A willing three-point shooter with a 6-foot-4 frame, Able mostly projects as a second-round pick currently. However, he does still have room to sneak his way into the first round, especially given how well he performed at the Combine. 

Able Amongst Portal Pick-Ups

For UNC’s sake, they sure do hope that Able makes the decision to suit up for them next season. He is one of Michael Malone’s top transfer portal acquisitions in his first offseason as head coach. Imagining a world without Able is a reality that the Tar Heels are hoping they can avoid next season. 

Many other star talents who did the same as Able have made the decision to come back to college. Most notably, UNC’s most-bitter rival, the Duke Blue Devils, were able to get John Blackwell to withdraw from the draft and return to school for next season.  

Without Able, the Tar Heels would be at a significant disadvantage in trying to find his replacement. At this point, the transfer portal cycle is nearly completed, and finding a replacement with similar value to Able will be a nearly impossible task for Malone and his staff. 

UNC’s Losses

They’ve already lost several talents from last season, including losing Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar to the draft, and losing role players such as Derek Dixon and Luka Bogavac to the transfer portal, so not only will the Tar Heels be undergoing a massive makeover, but it will be even more prominent if Able doesn’t stay true to his commitment. 

The clock is ticking for Able to make a decision. Until then, the Tar Heels — and their fans — will hold their breath and hope that he ends up choosing to come to Chapel Hill after testing the draft waters. 

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