Press Releases
At approximately 2:48 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Scotland Correctional Institution, two inmates suffered injuries during an inmate-on-inmate assault in a housing unit. Both inmates were transported to outside medical facilities for treatment. Their conditions are unknown at this time.
No staff or other offenders were injured during this incident.
The incident is under internal investigation and local law enforcement was contacted. DPS is cooperating with local law enforcement and will seek criminal prosecution against any inmate involved in the assaults.
A combined effort from the Department of Public Safety Special Ops team (including K-9 units), county and local law enforcement aided in the capture of Gaston Correctional Center inmate Thomas Philbeck (#1211238) at approximately 5:30 a.m. Monday.
Philbeck was located in a mobile home rented by his father and has been returned to the Gaston Correctional Center, where he will face escape charges, in addition to being demoted from minimum custody.
Environmental reviews were approved today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Cumberland, Edgecombe and Wayne counties, which will allow homeowner awards to move forward on Hurricane Matthew repair projects funded by Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) in those counties.
On Aug. 22 at approximately 1:10 p.m. at Pasquotank Correctional Institution, an inmate was assaulted by another inmate with a homemade weapon and admitted to a local hospital for treatment. His injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, and the hospital lists his condition as stable.
At approximately 5:18 p.m., another inmate was assaulted by another inmate with a homemade weapon. The injured inmate was transported to outside medical, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. He was released back to the facility following treatment.
At approximately 5:46 a.m. today at Tabor Correctional Institution, an inmate was involved in an assault on one correctional employee. The employee was taken to a local medical facility for assessment and treatment of what appear to be non-life-threatening injuries and was released. The inmate received treatment for minor injuries from prison medical staff and is now in confined custody. The incident is under internal investigation and local law enforcement was contacted.
A Wake County Grand Jury has returned indictments charging inmate Jaquan Lane (#1449047) in connection with the violent attack on Central Prison employee Brent Soucier.
Lane, 23, is charged with Assault on a State Detention Employee Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury.
Following an internal investigation, a sergeant at Lanesboro Correctional Institution is facing charges tonight for allegedly attempting to bring drugs into the prison. The Polkton Police Department has charged Sgt. Casonja Crowder with felony conspiracy to deliver marijuana and suboxone to an inmate and felony possession of marijuana and suboxone.
Inmate Matthew Howlett (#0897018) died today at Bertie Correctional Institution after an apparent suicide. He was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 11:55 a.m. Prison medical staff and local paramedics responded and worked to resuscitate the inmate. He was pronounced dead at 12:14 p.m. at the facility.
Interim Chief Deputy Secretary Reuben F. Young has named Robert Leon director of Correction Enterprises.
Leon has spent the past 25 years working for Correction Enterprises and has served as its deputy director since 2012. Prior to that, Leon served as Director of Professional Services, overseeing the day-to-day operations of five industries.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is proud to announce it will once again join a collaborative effort to reduce collisions along the I-95 corridor. Through support from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and states along the eastern portion of the U.S., the Drive to Save Lives Campaign is intended to increase visibility of law enforcement over a period of two days.