State launches prison staffing pilot as correctional officer pay remains budget issue
RALEIGH — North Carolina officials have launched a pilot program aimed at reducing prison staffing vacancies as state leaders continue to debate correctional officer pay and public safety spending.
The Department of Adult Correction and the Office of State Human Resources are working together on the pilot, which is operating at three state prisons, according to a Wednesday announcement from the Department of Adult Correction. The agency said North Carolina ranks 49th in starting salaries for correctional officers and that low pay has contributed to severe staffing shortages and high vacancy rates across the state.
The governor’s office said the pilot uses a contingent hiring model intended to move applicants into some roles more quickly while certification steps are completed. According to the announcement, the state has nearly met staffing goals at each of the three pilot locations.
Correctional officer staffing has become a recurring public safety and budget issue in North Carolina. Vacancies can increase overtime costs, strain prison operations and affect safety for employees and incarcerated people. The Department of Adult Correction did not list the three pilot prisons in the press release summary posted on its site, but described the staffing problem as statewide.
Stein’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2026-27 includes a 15% pay raise over the biennium for state correctional officers. The governor’s proposal also includes hiring bonuses for Basic Law Enforcement Training graduates and out-of-state transfers joining state and local law enforcement agencies.
The proposal will depend on legislative action. Lawmakers are considering competing spending priorities during the short session, including education, public safety, state employee compensation and infrastructure needs.
The pilot gives the administration a near-term tool to address vacancies, but the broader question remains whether hiring process changes can solve a staffing shortage that state officials also attribute to pay.
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.
