FAYETTEVILLE — Cumberland County is taking steps to keep criminals from becoming repeat offenders. Tuesday, state and local officials broke ground on the new Cumberland County Correctional Center. The goal of the new center, they say, is to make staying out of trouble easier.

Often when offenders leave jail, they are not completely free. Some may have probation and parole officers to meet with. Others must attend rehabilitation, monitoring and substance abuse programs. Now, inmates will be able to do all those things under one roof.

Superior Court Judge Coy Brewer says the system will be offering valuable services.

With four agencies inside, the new Cumberland County Correctional Center will allow officials to better monitor the action of offenders. Since offenders will have to check in, officials hope they will also check into classes offered at the center through Fayetteville Technical Community College.

Cumberland County Sheriff Earl "Moose" Butler says the new system will help fight crime.

In the past five years, the state has doubled the number of prison beds. Birdell Sturgies, who directs the Day Reporting Center, says officials hope a center like this will keep the more than 100 thousand people on probation from filling up those beds.

Organizers hope that impact will make for a better community.

The Center is being funded through local, state and federal money. It is scheduled to open in March, 1999.