Press Releases
Governor Roy Cooper today issued Executive Order No. 135 extending North Carolina’s Stay At Home order through May 8. The orders extending closure of restaurants for dine-in service and bars and closure of other close-contact businesses are also extended through May 8.
Governor Cooper shared details about North Carolina’s plan to lift restrictions in three phases once the data show that key metrics are headed in the right direction.
An offender housed at Pender Correctional Institution who tested positive for COVID-19 has died at the hospital as a result of pre-existing conditions complicated by COVID-19. This is the first coronavirus death of an individual in custody at a North Carolina state prison.
“Any death is a tragedy, and we must continue our efforts to do all we can to try and flatten the curve of COVID-19 in Prisons,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “The health and safety of the staff and the men and women in our custody is of paramount importance.”
North Carolina Emergency Management and its State Emergency Response Team partners have formed a Food Supply Chain Working Group to address food production and distribution issues across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help ensure all North Carolinians are fed.
“A critical part of staying healthy during this pandemic is having enough to eat,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “We need to make sure the food supply chain remains strong and safe for everyone.”
The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Benjamin Carver as warden of Marion Correctional Institution in Marion. He has served as associate warden for custody and operations at Alexander Correctional Institution since 2016.
Due to the outbreak at one prison facility, the NC Division of Prisons temporarily suspended operations at another state prison facility and strategically transferred offenders in consultation with state health experts. To support operations at the coronavirus-impacted Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, Prisons moved offenders out of Johnston Correctional Institution and reassigned staff to Neuse CI.
The North Carolina Division of Prisons is increasing its efforts to contain and reduce the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro. In a proactive and aggressive approach to protect staff and offenders, prison officials have initiated the testing of all 700 offenders at the facility, as well as providing access to tests for staff who wish to be tested.
NC National Guard’s 403rd Quarter Master Rigger Support Team, based at Simmons Army Airfield on Fort Bragg, is supporting their fellow Guardsmen by manufacturing protective masks for all NC Army and Air Guard members on NC COVID-19 response duty.
Governor Roy Cooper today charted a path forward for eventually easing certain COVID-19 restrictions while still protecting North Carolinians from a dangerous second wave of the virus.
“This virus is going to be with us until there is a vaccine, which may be a year or more away,” said Governor Cooper. “That means that as we ease restrictions, we are going to enter a new normal. We want to get back to work while at the same time preventing a spike that will overwhelm our hospitals with COVID-19 cases.”
The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Robert M. Williams as warden of Forsyth Correctional Center in Winston-Salem.
Prior to his promotion, he served as associate warden for programs at Piedmont Correctional Institution since 2012.
As warden, Williams is responsible for all operations at the male, minimum custody facility that offers a variety of job training, education and self-improvement programs.
In response to the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety today announced it is taking an extraordinary measure to help reduce the spread of the virus in prison facilities. The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice last week transitioned the first individuals who will continue to serve their sentence in the community.