Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed May 2-8 as Correctional Officers and Correctional Employees Week in North Carolina, in recognition of the essential public service provided by employees in the state’s prison system.
“We call on correctional staff to do a lot to ensure the safety of the people of North Carolina,” Governor Cooper said. “They provide security, health and wellness care, rehabilitative programs that prepare offenders for eventual re-entry into their communities and more. They do all this with great dedication, sometimes in unpredictable or dangerous situations and I’m grateful for their service.”
Department of Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks said the past year’s experiences with COVID-19 testing and vaccinating are further evidence of how critical correctional officers and employees are to the public’s continued health and safety.
“I salute the many outstanding correctional professionals for their dedicated service,” Secretary Hooks said. “Through the daily challenges they face, our dedicated staff continue to carry out their critical missions with pride. It is fitting to recognize our staff members for their outstanding work and commitment to public safety.”
More than 13,500 correctional officers and employees in the state prison system supervise approximately 28,000 offenders in more than 50 facilities. The pandemic further challenged Prisons employees to initiate swiftly changing procedures to help ensure the well-being of staff, offenders held in state custody and the public at large.
“I’ve been in many prisons throughout the country, and without a doubt our correctional staff are some of the finest men and women in the field anywhere,” said Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee. “To me, they are heroes.”
See Gov. Cooper’s proclamation for Correctional Officers and Correctional Employees Week.
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