ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — Nine months after a portion of Alexander County’s prison shut down because of staffing shortages, hundreds of prison beds are now empty.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety said statewide, it is trying to fill more than 3,000 openings for correctional officers.
The minimum-custody portion of the prison opened just over 10 years ago, in 2011. The building can hold up to 250 inmates, but the building closed last August and the parking lot has been empty ever since.
Mike Basden lives in the shadows of the Alexander Correctional Institution and was there when the minimum-custody facility was built ten years ago.
“Perhaps, just like everywhere else in this economy, they need to start looking out for their employees a little more,” Basden said.
The Department of Public Safety said since Aug. 2020, there have been two dozen temporary closures at prisons statewide. In Alexander County, 79 inmates were moved to other facilities. Staffing from the minimum-custody unit was transferred into the main prison next door.
Forgiven Ministries, located a half of a mile from the prison, tries to help children of inmates and their families by providing programs for the inmates.
Scottie Barnes said she has visited Alexander Correctional dozens of times and talked with hundreds of inmates.
“You do want staffing, not only for the security of inmates but also the security of the officials,” Barnes said. “What I feel like is, I can’t take the children in unless it’s sufficiently staffed.”
The Department of Public Safety says staffing issues have been a longstanding problem in North Carolina. DPS said right now, the vacancy rate for correctional officers is 33%.
Sandy Pisani lives across the street from the prison and hopes that number improves.
“To sit empty, that’s not good,” she said. “I think they should have workers and have people in there to do their jobs.”
The state says the minimum-custody unit at Alexander Correctional is being maintained for the day it will reopen, but a spokesperson told Channel 9 he doesn’t have a time frame on when that will happen.
(WATCH BELOW: Local law enforcement feeling the sting of staffing shortages)
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