Cabarrus Prison Set To Close At Year's End

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C.,None — The minimum-security prison at Mount Pleasant is slated to close by the end of the year. The closing comes as part of state budget cuts.

But officials are developing a plan for Cabarrus County to take over the prison and keep it running, said Jay White, chairman of the county commission.

"The county is always looking for ways to maximize our tax dollars," White said. "One of the ways is to possibly use that facility to house people who are serving time now or overflow from other counties."

The 53 people who work at the prison have been notified of the closure, said Pam Walker, spokeswoman for the state Department of Correction.

"We are doing what we can to assist them in finding another position," Walker said. "Fortunately, where Cabarrrus is located, it is not too distant from other facilities."

There are 198 inmates are incarcerated at the prison. Walker said those who haven't served out their sentence at the Cabarrus prison will be assigned to other facilities in the state.

There isn't any information on the cost to county if it takes over the prison. County staff is still working the numbers on a possible county take-over, White said. He said he hopes to have a proposal to the state corrections department by September.

"I hope what ever happens out there, if the county takes control of the property, that it gives Sheriff (Brad) Riley more flexibility in the day-to-day operations of his department," White said.

An official date has not been set for the closure, but Ron Tarlton, superintendent of Cabarrus Correctional, said the closure is a sure thing.

"I do see it affecting the community in various ways," Tarlton said.

With the closure, Mount Pleasant could lose its largest water and sewer customer. Town administrator Adrian Cox said the town would lose about $80,000 a year in revenue if the prison closes.

He also said the loss of 53 jobs in a town of about 2,500 hurts the local economy.

"Every job is important," Cox said. "Those jobs translate into money being spent in our economy and helping to support local businesses."

Employees would frequent the restaurants in town, Tarlton said. So would people visiting inmates on the weekend.

"They will stop in and get food to bring out here when they visit on the weekends," Tarlton said.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College offers vocational and GED classes to inmates there – just one among the other social and work programs offered at the prison. Many inmates do work for the N.C. DOT in the area. The Humane Society of Concord and Greater Cabarrus County sponsors a prison pets program and the Cabarrus Literacy Council has offered adult literacy programs at the prison in years past.

Paula Dibley, spokeswoman for RCCC, said the community college will continue to operate the basic adult education program at the prison until it closes.

She said there are three part-time faculty members assigned to the prison, and they would probably be reassigned within the college.

"We have a great need in our adult basic education programs," Dibley said. "Our instructors stay very busy."

The Cabarrus prison opened in 1929 to house adult males, according to the corrections department website. Through the years, dormitories have been added and a chapel that is operated by volunteers.

The prison is one of four state facilities that will close this year. The other three are located in Haywood County, Charlotte and Durham, Walker said.

New legislation recently passed by the General Assembly – called the Justice Reinvestment Act -- would divert money from prison facilities into community-based services, like substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment and programs that will aid offenders in being successful in community.

With these programs, the prison population in North Carolina is expected to decrease, Walker said.

As a result, the prisons in Cabarrus County, Haywood County, Charlotte and Durham will close this year, in anticipation of decrease in the prison population. This will save the state about $16 million through 2013. The budget for the state correctional system is about $1.4 billion, Walker said.

WSOC