Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) today appointed members to the new Senate Select Committee on Prison Safety. Senator Bob Steinburg (R-Chowan) will chair the select committee. Steinburg’s district includes Bertie Correctional Institution and Pasquotank Correctional Institution, where five prison employees were killed on duty in 2017. Senator Steinburg represents a large number of correctional officers and has made prison safety his top priority. 

 

Senator Berger said, “The state is responsible for the laws that regulate our prisons, and it’s our job as legislators to institute policies that make them as safe as possible. Correctional officers have a challenging position, and we need to support them.” 

 

Senator Steinburg said, “The gravity of this matter cannot be understated. Two years ago, five very fine individuals were senselessly murdered while on duty; one in Bertie County, the other four in Pasquotank. These people, and their families, were my not just my constituents. They were my neighbors and my friends. When I met the families of victims, it hit home to me that the folks who gave their lives were so much more than a name in a newspaper.” 

 

Steinburg continued, “The men and women, whom I’ve met since then, are dedicated professionals in our correction system. As such, they are much more than names on a duty roster. I plan for the work of our new committee to honor their service, and honor the memory of people like Megan Callahan, Justin Smith, Veronica Darden, Wendy Shannon, and Geoffrey Howe.” 

 

After the 2017 prison deaths, the North Carolina General Assembly provided $15 million in additional funding to improve prison safety and security. The funding supports “man-down” technology, including emergency communication, location tracking capabilities, and duress badges which activate an alarm if a corrections officer is incapacitated. The committee will build on those steps to continue improving prison safety and will formulate additional recommendations for the legislature’s consideration. 

 

Full List of Committee Members

 

Senator Bob Steinburg (Chair)

Senator Danny Earl Britt, Jr.

Senator Warren Daniel

Senator Norman W. Sanderson

Senator Tom McInnis

Senator Ralph Hise

Senator Kathy Harrington

Senator Jim Burgin

Senator Joyce Waddell

Senator Milton F. “Toby” Fitch, Jr.

Senator Floyd B. McKissick, Jr.

Senator Terry Van Duyn

Senator Harper Peterson