Legal Statutes

Supporting Statutes

G.S. § 148-128 Authorization for Correction Enterprises

The Division of Correction Enterprises is established as a division of the Department of Adult Correction. The Division of Correction Enterprises may develop and operate industrial, agricultural, and service enterprises that employ incarcerated offenders in an effort to provide them with meaningful work experiences and rehabilitative opportunities that will increase their employability upon release from prison. Enterprises operated under this Article shall be known as "Correction Enterprises." (2007-280, s. 1; 2011-145, s. 19.1(h), (j).)

G.S. § 148-129 Purposes of Correction Enterprises

Correction Enterprises shall serve all of the following purposes to:

  1. Provide incarcerated offenders a work and training environment that emulates private industry.
  2. Provide incarcerated offenders with training opportunities that allow them to increase work skills and employability upon release from prison.
  3. Provide quality goods and services.
  4. Aid victims by contributing a portion of its proceeds to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
  5. Generate sufficient funds from the sale of goods and services to be a self-supporting operation. (2007-280, s. 1.)

G.S. § 148-132 Distribution of Products & Services

The Division of Correction Enterprises of the Department of Adult Correction is empowered and authorized to market and sell products and services produced by Correction Enterprises to any of the following entities:

  1. Any public agency or institution owned, managed, or controlled by the State.
  2. Any county, city, or town in this State.
  3. Any federal, state, or local public agency or institution in any other state of the union.
  4. An entity or organization that has tax-exempt status pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and also receives local, state, or federal grant funding.
  5. Any current employee or retiree of the State of North Carolina or of a unit of local government of this State, verified through State-issued identification, or through proof of retirement status, but purchases by a State or local governmental employee or retiree may not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) during any calendar year. Products purchased by State and local governmental employees and retirees under this section may not be resold. (2007-280, s. 1; 2009-451, s. 19.16; 2011-145, ss. 18.14, 19.1(j).)
  6. Private contractors when the goods purchased will be used to perform work under a contract with a public agency. (2007-280, s. 1; 2009-451, s. 19.16; 2011-145, ss. 18.14, 19.1(j); 2013-289, s. 6; 2017-154, s. 1; 2017-186, s. 2(bbbbbbbbb); 2021-180, s. 19C.9(mmmm); 2022-58, s. 15.)

G.S. § 148-134 Preference for Division of Prisons of Department of Adult Correction products.

All departments, institutions, and agencies of this State that are supported in whole or in part by the State shall give preference to Correction Enterprises products in purchasing articles, products, and commodities that these departments, institutions, and agencies require and that are manufactured or produced within the State prison system and offered for sale to them by Correction Enterprises. No article or commodity available from Correction Enterprises shall be purchased by any State department, institution, or agency from any other source unless the prison product does not meet the standard specifications and the reasonable requirements of the department, institution, or agency as determined by the Secretary of Administration or the requisition cannot be complied with because of an insufficient supply of the articles or commodities required. The provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes respecting contracting for the purchase of all supplies, materials, and equipment required by the State government or any of its departments, institutions, or agencies under competitive bidding shall not apply to articles or commodities available from Correction Enterprises. The Division of Correction Enterprises of the Department of Adult Correction shall be required to keep the price of such articles or commodities substantially in accord with that paid by governmental agencies for similar articles and commodities of equivalent quality. (2007-280, s. 1; 2011-145, s. 19.1(h), (j).)