Adult correction bill becomes North Carolina law

The new law makes changes involving probation officers, prison security, correctional facilities, sex offender monitoring and Department of Adult Correction operations.

RALEIGH — A statewide adult correction bill is now law in North Carolina after Gov. Josh Stein signed Senate Bill 355 on July 7.

The measure became Session Law 2026-44 on July 8, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. The bill is titled “Support the Dept. of Adult Correction.-AB” and does not list any counties specifically cited, making it statewide in scope. The bill page lists Sens. Warren Daniel, Danny Britt and Buck Newton as primary sponsors, with additional sponsors including Sens. Bobby Hanig, Tim Moffitt and Norman Sanderson.

The law makes several changes tied to the Department of Adult Correction, probation and parole officers, prison security, electronic monitoring and correctional facilities.

A legislative summary says the measure expands certain tuition benefits for survivors and family members of probation officers killed or permanently and totally disabled because of traumatic injuries sustained in the line of duty. It also changes provisions involving electronic monitoring, probation extensions, prison security contracts and Department of Adult Correction repair and renovation projects.

The bill also extends provisions related to the training and authority of private security guards and patrol professionals working at state prison facilities through June 30, 2027. The summary says the Department of Adult Correction also receives authority to use certain available funds for repair and renovation projects under specified limits and reporting requirements.

Other provisions address satellite-based monitoring for certain offenders, temporary health services workers in the Department of Adult Correction and Department of Health and Human Services, and state rules that generally prohibit agency employees from viewing pornography on state networks or devices. The bill creates an exception for employees investigating matters involving offenders or misuse of department-owned devices.

The Senate concurred in the House committee substitute on July 2 by a 47-0 vote before the bill was presented to the governor.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.