About North Carolina Department of Public Safety
The North Carolina Department of Safety (NC DPS) is responsible for corrections and rehabilitation efforts in the United States’ state of North Carolina. The state of North Carolina does not operate any private prison facilities. Therefore, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety prisons divisions operate and manage state offenders' correctional facilities. DPS has a mission to safeguard and preserve the property and lives of North Carolina citizens by preventing, protecting, and preparing with integrity and honor. The Department of Public Safety employees supervises inmates in correctional facilities, juvenile detention centers, and community supervision. On the other hand, state troopers are in charge of enforcing North Carolina Highway laws. Alcohol law enforcement special agents conduct investigations and implement alcohol, tobacco, and lottery laws.
The Department aims to strengthen its unity of effort as a consolidated and allied entity. It has a goal to create an authentic culture of prevention, preparedness, and protection. Additionally, NC DPS seeks to establish and maintain an environment where its employees are accountable, engaged, and recognized for their contributions to enhancing the state's public safety. The Department’s values include Safety, Integrity, Customer Service, Professionalism, Diversity, and Quality.
As of November 2021, DPS was responsible for overseeing approximately offenders, probationers, and parolees. Male offenders in prison were 27040 while female prisoners were 2237 in number.
The Secretary, Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr., of the DPS, is the sole representative on the Governor's cabinet for corrections, North Carolina’s law enforcement, and emergency management. North Carolina Department of Safety employs over 21000 sworn law enforcement and civilian individuals. Additionally, it has more than 13000 North Carolina Guard airmen and soldiers.
DPS Divisions
The Department has nine divisions, including Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, NC National Guard, Emergency Management, North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, Alcohol Law Enforcement, State Capitol Police, State Highway Patrol, Administration, Professional Standards, Policy, and Strategic Planning.
Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice
The Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice Division are in charge of the care, supervision, and custody of all adults and juveniles sentenced after convictions. For adult offenders, sentences include probation served in the community and active prison sentences served in state correctional facilities. After serving prison time, there exists a post-release supervision period for incarcerated individuals. Typically, this period assists the offenders to transition more successfully back to their families and communities. The Department places offenders who violate probation in the Confinement in Response Violation (CRV).
Juvenile Justice focuses on strengthening families, preventing delinquency, immediate and effective intervention of delinquent behaviors, and supporting social institutions. Additionally, the system identifies and controls the small group of severe, chronic, and violent youthful offenders in local communities.
North Carolina National Guard
The NC National Guard includes an all-volunteer force made up of about 12000 soldiers and airmen. This force serves in both state and federal capacities. The National Guard, on order, deploys military capabilities in support of national or state authorities. The goal is to protect the lives and properties of fellow North Carolina citizens. Additionally, it aims to defend North Carolina and the nation as a whole and secure the American way of life.
Emergency Management
The North Carolina Emergency Management partners with local communities in preparing for, responding, recovering, and mitigating disaster damages across the state. This division deploys resources when needed. Additionally, it coordinates with neighboring states and the federal government in supplementing resources and staffing where appropriate. Emergency Management Division is always ready to respond to any crisis. To achieve the latter, it utilizes search and rescue teams, emergency response teams alongside several other resources at their disposal.
North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency
Governor Roy Cooper established the NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency in the wake of Hurricane Florence. The Office’s function was to lead North Carolina’s efforts in rebuilding more innovative and more potent. At its establishment, two devastating storms had hit many eastern North Carolina counties in only two years. In two grants, the Office of Recovery and Resiliency manages about $1 billion in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding.
Alcohol Law Enforcement
This division is the top law enforcement agency for North Carolina's alcoholic beverage control, tobacco, and lottery laws. Typically, the 109 ALE special agents seek illegal and problem ABC-licensed establishments. Usually, these establishments serve as avenues for gang activity, violence, gangs, money laundering, organized crimes, among other criminal activities.
State Capitol Police
The North Carolina State Capitol Police aims to provide a safe and secure environment for state employees and state officials. Additionally, it ensures the security and safety of visitors within the North Carolina State Government Complex, including at state-owned properties in Wake County.
State Highway Patrol
The State Highway Patrol’s main objective is to reduce collisions and make North Carolina’s highways as safe as possible. This division has over 1600 troopers responsible for covering about 80000 miles of the state’s roadways. Apart from enforcing North Carolina’s traffic laws, these troopers guide traffic during hurricane evacuations. In addition, they re-route traffic in case of fatal chemical spills and are on guard if any terrorist act occurs.
Administration
The Administration docket of the NC DPS offers several core support functions for the various interrelated services. The Department's complementary services typically include Victim and Employment Support, Budget Management, Fleet Operations, Information Technology, Administrative Services, Property Management, and Procurement and Contract Management.
Professional Standards, Policy, and Strategic Planning
The Professional Standards, Policy, and Planning Division ensure that DPS employees fulfill their mission in a respectful, fair, honest, and safe way. The division ensures the Department operates with the highest ethical standards. In addition, it promotes and ensures legal compliance with federal, state, and departmental policies and regulations. The goal is to identify the Department’s training needs and best practices.
DPS Criminal Offender Searches
The Department of Public Safety offers different types of state prisoner lookup options, including:
Offender Public Information Search or Inmate Locator
The Offender Public Information Search allows site visitors to locate an offender by their name or ID. This search option contains up-to-date information regarding North Carolina state prison incarcerated individuals, probationers, and parolees. This state prisoner lookup has a database from the current North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the previous North Carolina Department of Corrections (NCDOC) dated back to 1972.
The NCDOC Offender Locator, however, does not include any information regarding prisoners held in county jails. Under this offender locator, there are other search tools such as Offender Search, Escapes/Captures, Absconders, Inmate releases, and Downloads.
This NCDOC inmate search requires one to provide the Offender's status, Last, First, and Middle Name, Identification Number, Gender, Race, Ethnic Group, Date of Birth, and Age range. Remember, when you submit a search, the search only selects the offenders who match the specified search criteria. The Department limits the search returns to not more than 10000 inmates. Therefore, it is advisable to use as many search criteria available to filter the search results.
The quickest way to perform this offender lookup is by entering the incarcerated inmate's number or full or partial name.
To search for offenders in this category, the site requires one to check on the “Currently Escaped," “Apprehended," or “Both” boxes. Additionally, one can select the “Last name Sound Like” option. You can then enter the offender’s last name and County.
The Absconder search option requires site visitors to provide the inmate's last name and County of Supervision.
This search shows inmates who have completed their incarceration time. Here, you choose County, Year, and Month available on the page to get a list of inmates released at the time. If you want to check whether your loved one has been released from a correctional facility within NC DPS, you enter the offender’s last name.
The Downloads page contains a list of files to facilitate users interested in data analysis of the Department’s offender-related data. Interested users can download these files, which are then imported to their software in their gadgets. The downloadable files contain all public information regarding all DPS offenders committed since 1972.
Automated System Query
The Automated System Query (ASQ) search utilizes the same DPS database as the Inmate Locator search above. However, this search tool allows one to create specialized reports depending on the criteria they select. It returns demographic information and counts on inmates, excluding the particular inmate identities.
North Carolina SAVAN Search
The North Carolina Statewide Automated Victim Assistance and Notification (NC SAVAN) is part of the state's commitment to supporting crime victims. NC SAVAN offers free and confidential notifications regarding the inmate's custody to the victims, their families and keep circles to achieve this goal. This search service includes state prisoners, County jail offenders, registered sex offenders, probationers, and parolees. Interested parties can receive notifications through text messages, email, phone calls, or TTY for hard-of-hearing citizens.
NC Sex Offender Registry
The North Carolina Sex Offender Registry database displays residential locations of registered sex offenders in the state. The State Bureau of Investigation mains this sex offender registry.
Interstate Compact Offender Tracking
The Interstate Compact Offender Tracking search tool offers information regarding probationers and parolees who the Department has transferred their supervision to another state. This offender locator tool is from the Interstate Commission on Adult Offender Supervision.
Law Enforcement Search
Law enforcement agency employees can utilize the Law Enforcement Search to search the NC DPS Adult Correction database for information on inmates, probationers, and parolees. To perform a state prisoner lookup, enter the prisoner’s last name or ID. It creates inmate photo lineups and access inmate information for late enforcement investigators.
