Federal report on probation system could come this summer

Raleigh, N.C. — A federal report on the state's probation system could come as early as August.

Earlier this month, the National Institute of Corrections began reviewing the offices in major urban areas at the request of the Department of Correction.

An internal review of two murder suspects' probation cases found serious problems with the way cases are handled in the state, including issues involving staffing, training and communication.

Duke University graduate student Abhijit Mahato was shot to death inside his Durham apartment in January; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill senior Eve Marie Carson was found dead near the UNC campus in early March.

Demario James Atwater and Laurence Lovette each face one count of first- degree murder in Carson's death. Lovette also faces a first-degree murder charge in Mahato's death.

Both were on probation at the time of the victims' deaths, and the DOC's internal probe found they had been overlooked by the system.