Final report on N.C. probation system calls for changes

Raleigh, N.C. — A final federal report on the state's probation system was released Tuesday and suggested the state screen-high risk offenders who are on on low-level probation, study workloads and staffing levels, and hire an expert consultant to help with management issues.

The state called in the National Institute of Corrections, part of the U.S. Department of Justice, to review probation issues after the deaths of Duke University graduate student Abhijit Mahato and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill senior Eve Marie Carson.

The suspects in those homicides were on probation at the time of the crimes. An internal probe by the North Carolina Department of Correction's Division of Community Corrections found that probation officers did not properly track Demario James Atwater, 22, and Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr., 17.

Atwater is charged in Carson's death. Lovette is charged in both cases.

Last month, WRAL News obtained a copy of a draft report of the NIC's findings, and it included 35 recommendations for various improvements.

The final report varies little from the draft, but does correct factual errors about the Carson and Mahato cases.

Robert Guy, director of the Division of Community Corrections, has said that even if the agency had efficiently followed its own procedures, Lovette and Atwater could have been free from custody when the students were killed.

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Latest Comments

Again I say they should be using the 3 strikes you're out ruling! These thugs should be executed!

Cristoforo
September 10, 2008 11:10 a.m.

Just shameful - the entire administration team should be fired and new management installed with firm directions and a reasonable budget. Any PO's not doing their jobs by the book need to be terminated and the remaining PO's need to be given financial incentives for going above and beyond the basic job - in other words MERIT pay raises and bonuses.

I agree with JAFOinWF that this shows part of the problems with having the government run any program - health care needs to remain private - let the government assist in providing medical insurance to the poor (medicaid) but keep the system private and give doctors/insurance companies real incentives for keeping the costs down and the service level high.

Tax Man
September 10, 2008 8:33 a.m.

Typical government letting the citizenry down. And some of you want the govt to tax us more to take over health care?!

JAFOinWF
September 10, 2008 7:15 a.m.

If POs are fired and new ones hired at lower wages, the same problem exists. Why does the state permit POs who have 5 years of experience to earn less than $35,ooo annually?

d1_standing
September 9, 2008 9:55 p.m.

this is nothing more than the department not providing resources and letting the available staff die on the vine. and more importantly not dealing with the true issue....management interference higher than durham or wake....

1911
September 9, 2008 9:34 p.m.