Press Releases

State correctional and law enforcement officers are seeking Lanesboro Minimum Custody offender Lamorris W. Rivers (#0830041) who was reported missing from the facility Saturday evening. Rivers, 31, is described as a black male with a medium build, standing 6-feet tall and weighing 198 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, originally from Anson County, NC. He is serving a sentence for Speeding/Eluding arrest and was admitted to prison on August 17, 2018. He was scheduled for release August 13, 2019.

Due to increased fire risk, the N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and canceled all burning permits for the following counties in Eastern North Carolina: Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Dare, Duplin, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Tyrrell and Washington. The burning ban goes into effect at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, 2019, and will remain in effect until further notice. The N.C. Forest Service will continue to monitor conditions.

WHAT: ABEL Leash Ceremony WHEN: Thursday, May 30, 1 p.m. WHERE: Warren Correctional Institution Visitation Area                 379 Collins Road                 Manson, NC 27553

With an estimated 37.6 million motorists taking to the roadways this Memorial Day weekend, the State Highway Patrol is encouraging drivers to plan ahead before traveling.                                                   

WHAT: N.C. Prison Reform Advisory Board Meeting DATE/TIME: Wednesday, May 22, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. WHERE: Governor’s Crime Commission, Room 100, 1201 Front St., Raleigh

A Hoke Correctional Institution offender who escaped six months ago was captured in Roanoke Rapids early this morning by Halifax County Sheriff’s deputies and Roanoke Rapids police officers. Cul Priest Jones (#0214939) was found standing on a street corner. Jones, 45, fled on foot when officers approached and was apprehended. He was taken for medical attention for non-life threatening injuries.

On April 24 at approximately 10:23 a.m. at Scotland Correctional Institution, offender Laderrick Jones (#1413660) was pronounced dead due to cardiac arrest.  Jones, 24, was found unconscious in a cell at approximately 8:41 a.m. Jones was taken by EMS to an outside medical facility, where he was later pronounced dead.

During remarks at the Pitt County Reentry Job and Resource Fair, Governor Roy Cooper announced April 22-26, 2018 is Reentry Week in North Carolina. Reentry Week highlights ongoing efforts to help formerly incarcerated North Carolinians successfully return to their communities and careers.

At approximately 2:15 p.m. today at Piedmont Correctional Institution, several offenders were involved in an offender-on-offender assault in the prison yard. Four offenders were transported to outside medical with non-life threatening injuries and several others were treated at the facility.  The facility is currently in lockdown. Outside law enforcement was called in and is working with DPS staff on the investigation.   

State correctional officers and local law enforcement are seeking Randolph Correctional Center minimum custody offender Grady R. York (#0456815), who was discovered missing from the facility in Asheboro at 9 a.m. today.