Press Releases
North Carolina Criminal Justice Analysis Center (CJAC) announces Part 1 of the study on statewide trends regarding traffic stops in the Justice Analysis Review (JAR) July 2020 issue. This study is part of the North Carolina Traffic Stop Reporting Program Series.
The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Theodore “T.A.” Boysworth as the new warden at the Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women in Black Mountain.
He had been the deputy warden for custody and operations at the facility since 2018.
In recognition of the important public service provided by the state’s probation/parole officers, Gov. Roy Cooper has proclaimed July 19-25, 2020, as Probation, Parole and Community Supervision Officers’ Week in North Carolina.
An offender housed at Albemarle 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 sixth coronavirus death of an individual in custody at a North Carolina state prison.
“His death is a tragedy, and we are continuing to work hard to handle the impact of COVID-19 in our prisons,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “The health and safety of the staff and the offenders in our custody remains our top priority.”
Pre-trial detainee Chad Lee Houser (#0720694), who escaped this evening from Central Prison was captured by Spring Lake Police Department in Cumberland County.
State correctional and local law enforcement officers are seeking pre-trial detainee Chad Lee Houser (#0720694), who escaped this evening from Central Prison. He was last seen wearing blue hospital-style scrubs and may have gotten into a 2015 white Chevrolet Silverado truck which may have an electric company logo on the side and a license plate that reads FC9096.
Offender Jonathan M. Lechner (#1134193) died Wednesday night at Pasquotank Correctional Institution after an apparent suicide.
He was found unresponsive in his cell at 9:06 p.m.
Prison medical staff and local paramedics responded and performed life-saving measures in attempts to resuscitate the offender. He was taken by EMS to an outside medical facility where he was pronounced dead. DPS officials and local law enforcement are investigating the incident.
On Tuesday, July 7, at 5:33 am, the State Highway Patrol responded to a fatal vehicle collision on NC 50 at Old Drug Store Road. A 2016 Dodge Charger was traveling north on NC 50 when it struck a pedestrian who was believed to be sitting in the travel lanes. The pedestrian died as a result of his injuries. The pedestrian has yet to be identified and is described as a Hispanic male in his mid-20’s to early-30’s. He is approximately 5’7 and has tattoos of a scorpion and a cross on his left arm.
The State Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate a serious collision involving one of its members from today in Charlotte. On Saturday, July 4, at approximately 8:36 am, Trooper Adolfo A. Lopez-Alcedo was struck while assisting with a follow up collision investigation that occurred the previous day. As Trooper Lopez-Alcedo was beginning a shutdown of the I-485 Outer Loop near the 21-mile marker, he was struck while outside of his patrol vehicle.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety is continuing its efforts to contain and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in state prisons by conducting testing of the offender population statewide. This week mass offender population testing will be conducted at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women (NCCIW) in Raleigh.