„Fewer than 10“ prisons closing ahead of hurricane, all inmates to be kept in state, per DPS.
Raleigh, N. C. — The state is evacuating hundreds of prisoners, as well as staff, from correctional facilities because of Hurricane Florence.
Officials won’t release details until the moves are complete, which will likely be sometime Wednesday, Department of Public Safety spokesman Jerry Higgins said Tuesday. But Higgins said the state is moving people out of „fewer than 10“ facilities, all medium- and minimum-security.
„They’re not the big ones,“ he said.
The decision to evacuate isn’t just about the path of the storm, Higgins said, but a facility’s ability to weather the coming wind, rain and flooding.
All inmates moved will be kept in state, he said.
„It’s hundreds (of prisoners) at this point,“ Higgins said. „I can’t give specifics right now because of security…. We’re moving them to various facilities that have the bed space across the system.“
The move was first reported by NC Policy Watch .
