The Enquirer-Journal
SUNDAY January 17, 2010
Deputies favored
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Rainy, warmer
Rain likely today with clearing and warmer temperatures Monday and Tuesday.
A RETURN TO RALEIGH
A petition circulating in Indian Trail opposed plans to create a town police force and favors continued coverage by Sheriff’s deputies.
Former state senator Fern Shubert says she wants her old seat back now that W. Edward Goodall has announced he will not seek re-election. Shubert did not seek re-election when she made an unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination for governor.
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Today’s temps
High: 53 Low: 38 Full report: Page 10A
County eyes closed prison for new jail BY JASON deBRUYN
Amy Solka
Staff Writer
E-J staff photos by Rick Crider
Mekel Rogers conducts the Union County Youth Symphony at a recent performance.
Ian Searle
Samuel Strader
SYMPHONY O U T H
Colby Hathaway and Kate Player
Alexandra Brown
MONROE Union commissioners put themselves in position to lobby for a new place to properly house criminals. The Union County jail is at full capacity, but building a new jail could cost $65 million; money the commissioners do not have. Due to state budget cuts, Union Correctional, the state-run penitentiary in Monroe, closed Oct. 1, 2009. It has sat empty since then, but Sheriff Eddie Cathey suggested the county take over the building and use it as another county jail. The state will not make decisions on its closed facilities until at least February, but the legislature passed a law that would give priority to cities or counties that want to use the facilities as jails. Union Correctional was built in the 1930s as one of 61 field-unit prisons to house inmates who worked on building roads. In addition to prison cells, it includes a vocational education building, a dining hall, guard towers and an administration building. The Union County jail was built in 1994 and has been under “classification full” for the past year. In a letter to Alvin Keller, secretary of correction, Cathey asked that the facility be turned over to the county because, “Although the county has plans for a 400-bed expansion, it is extremely unlikely that we will be able to expand our own inmate housing capacity for some years to come.” Alamance and Rockingham counties have performed similar transfers and Cathey suggested that Union could share some
See JAIL / Page 6A
Few Good Men tap Mungo for annual honor VOLUNTEERISM
- Member and officer of the American Legion Post 212 for 33 years - Former chairperson and member of the statewide Drug and Alcohol Abuse Committee - Trustee of Watts Grove Baptist Church in Monroe - Director of a prison ministry - President of the Winchester Community Organization - Member of North Carolina’s Commission on Children and Youth.
BY TIFFANY LANE
Staff Writer
MONROE “I didn’t even think anybody was paying any attention to the things I was doing.” A Few Good Men dubbed James Mungo Citizen of the Year. Like most winners, Mungo never saw it coming. “I didn’t think anything like that would ever happen,” he said. “I am honored and humbled.” His friends and relatives
What’s Inside Brides Business Comics Classified
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Letters Obituaries Opinion Weather
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say James Mungo has always been humble. Comparing him to last year’s winner, Jeanette Sherrod, A Few Good Men President Robert Heath said Mungo is “quietly making a difference in the community.” A Few Good Men is a civic group dedicated to increasing minority achievement and minority hiring. This year, a six-man committee sifted through five nomina-
CLARIFICATION
A story in Satuday’s edition mischaracterized Senator Eddie Goodall’s new job as a lobbying position. Goodall instead will build a structure for a membership base of families and charter schools and visit schools around the state as well as educating people about what public charter schools are. activity.
tions for Citizen of the Year, then took it to the full 20-member organization to choose a winner. It was James Mungo’s service to American Legion Post 212 and hospital visits to shutins that caught a few good eyes. Heath said he almost won last year. The award might have surprised James Mungo, but his
See MUNGO / Page 6A
WHO’S IN JAIL? Th e jail has 256 inmates, though the number fluctuates. Th e jail technically has 264 beds, but that number is misleading. There are different classifications of prisoners and each group has a certain number of beds. There are 24 beds classified for short term, such as medical, and 10 for female prisoners, for example. If there are only eight female inmates, those two beds are left empty because a male prisoner is not allowed in that section. THE OFFENDERS: Lar ceny including robbery with dangerous weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle: 41 Pr obation violation or failure to appear: 36 Drug related: 34 Dr iving charges including driving with license revoked, driving impaired and driving under the influence: 24 Assault: 23 Murder: 20 Kidnapping: 16 Se x offense, including rape or sex with a minor: 15 Breaking/Entering: 13 Ot hers are for minor charges such as property damage or failure to pay child support
Closed prisons
According to Section 19.4 of the General Statutes: “In conjunction with the closing of prison facilities, ... the Department of Correction shall consult with the county or municipality in which the unit is located ... about the possibility of converting the unit to other use. ... The Department shall give priority to converting the unit to other criminal justice use.” - including changing security custody levels.
James and Loma Mungo enjoy the news that he was chosen by A Few Good Men as its citizen of the year. He has been active in veterans and youth affairs. Rick Crider photo
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Best wishes are extended to everyone who is celebrating a birthday today, especially: Raymond Deese Jr., Evan Helms, Sherry Cox, Carley Moore, Carol Williams, Brady Seegers and David Tyson. Best wishes also are extended to everyone who is celebrating a birthday Monday, especially: Pam Shoemaker, David Williams, Jared Purser and Wendy Severt. Call (704) 261-2278 or e-mail birthdays@theej.com to add your names to The Enquirer-Journal birthday list.