North Carolina Prisons Get Major Budget Boost | Raleigh News

North Carolina’s prisons are getting a major financial boost—with over $2.2 billion in new state funding aimed at fixing staffing shortages, soaring medical costs, and crumbling infrastructure across 55 facilities. The budget includes the largest pay raise in decades for correctional officers, at 13%, but even with that, the state will still rank among the lowest-paying for this role. Turnover remains high, though hiring is finally outpacing departures. Meanwhile, 500 vacant positions are being eliminated, and over 2,000 roles still need filling. Nurses and maintenance workers get smaller raises, raising retention concerns. While the funding helps, much of it is one-time, leaving future deficits looming—and lawmakers must now tackle raises for overlooked staff and invest in tech like body cameras to improve safety and efficiency. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/410a75b57ecb1612