February 2019 • Vol. 37, Issue 2
THE
REPORTER
State Employees Association of North Carolina
SEANC offers ways to make prisons safer The Select Committee on Prison Reform wrapped up almost two years of work in January by issuing a report calling for sweeping changes to make our prisons safer for employees. The report, titled “From the Inside: A SEANC Examination of N.C. Correctional Issues,” is based on feedback from correctional personnel shared online and through forums held in every region of the state. We also conducted an online survey that received 621 responses from correctional employees. “We aim to develop commonsense reform proposals to mitigate potential violence,” said SEANC President Jimmy Davis in a letter in the report. “We cannot undo the tragedies that have occurred, but we can take meaningful steps to allow our correctional personnel to work in safe, supportive environments, and provide a space to make their concerns known, heard, and ultimately, addressed.” On April 26, 2017, Sgt. Meggan Callahan, a correctional officer at Bertie Correctional Institution, was brutally murdered by an inmate wielding a fire
extinguisher. In October 2017 (less than six months later), four correctional personnel — Veronica Darden, Justin Smith, Wendy Shannon and Geoffrey Howe — were murdered at Pasquotank Correctional Institution in a failed escape attempt originating in the facility’s sewing plant. Eight additional personnel were injured in the attack. At the time of Sgt. Callahan’s death, Bertie Correctional was 20 percent understaffed. At the time the escape attempt occurred, Pasquotank Correctional was understaffed by 28 percent. Following these horrific acts of violence, then SEANC President Stanley Drewery created the committee of active and retired SEANC members who work in the Department of Public Safety to propose reforms from the officers on the inside. Deborah Harney of Cameron, an active DPS employee, served as chairwoman. “In this report we are offering real solutions as our employees on the inside see them — the truth about the state of
our prisons,” Harney said. “Our prisons are unsafe, and our prison personnel and taxpayers deserve much better.”
SOLUTIONS from the INSIDE The following is a list of recommendations made by the SEANC Select Committee on Prison Reform on ways to improve safety at our prisons. Read the whole report online at seanc.org/prisonreform. For the Legislature
• Address understaffing • Restore the Department of Corrections • Law enforcement benefits for certified correctional personnel • Increased penalties for assault on prison personnel • Insist that District Attorneys prosecute inmates who attack officers
For the Department
• Revise the formula for staffing needs • Implement streamlined, concise, consistent policies • Re-evaluate the hiring process • Invest in facilities and updated equipment • Offer comprehensive training
For the Employees
• Take pride in profession • Be loyal to each other • Take care of equipment • Engage in positive self-care
Fresh faces, familiar leaders as General Assembly opens 2019 session The 2019 General Assembly convened on Jan. 9 for an organizational session and to swear in new members, and then returned on Jan. 30 for the start of the long session. The new legislature has a decidedly
In This Issue 2 3 4-5 7 8
Public Policy Retiree Focus Members in Action 2018 in Review Scholarship
different make-up than its predecessor. The most notable change is that the Republicans no longer have veto-proof supermajorities in the House or the Senate. Rep. Tim Moore won re-election as Speaker of the House and Sen. Phil Berger was re-elected Senate President Pro Tempore. This promises to be a busy session for state employee and retiree issues. SEANC expects pushback on State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s proposal to cut reimbursement rates to hospitals from the State Health
Plan, a move that will save plan members and taxpayers millions of dollars. We also will roll out our suggestions for needed reforms to our prisons. And of course, issues such as the state budget, retirement security and worker rights will be at the forefront throughout the session as well. Be sure to like SEANC’s Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for breaking news throughout the session, and be ready to act when we ask for your help! If you haven’t already, text the word SEANC to 50457 to sign up for text alerts!