The SEANC View
The SEANC View
SEANC
Running on Empty: Inside North Carolina's Prison Staffing Crisis
36 minutes Posted Feb 13, 2026 at 2:18 pm.
Special Episode with Secretary Dismukes
Secretary Dismukes’ Background
Staffing Challenges in Prisons
The Importance of Culture
Addressing Lapsed Salary Issues
Retention Strategies for Staff
Competing for Correctional Officers
Critical Needs for Safety and Medical
Managing the Prison Population
Fire Safety Concerns
Challenges for Community Supervision
Final Thoughts and Future Hopes
Question of the Week
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Show notes
This week, we sit down with Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes to discuss urgent challenges facing North Carolina prisons.
The wide-ranging interview includes discussion of chronic staffing shortages and retention, the use of lapse salary to cover operating costs, rising medical and facility expenses, and safety priorities such as body cams, drone detection, and fire prevention.