3 NC prisons temporarily closing due to staffing shortage

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Three North Carolina prisons are closing temporarily because of staffing problems in the prison system.

Staff and prisoners at Hoke Correctional Institution in Raeford, Tyrrell Prison Work Farm in Columbia and Odom Correctional Institution in Jackson are being moved to other prisons.

The N.C. Department of Public Safety said that it's making the move with the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice to better utilize available staff and make state prisons and communities safer.

"Employees will be temporarily reassigned to help their colleagues at facilities with high vacancy issues," said Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee said in a statement. "We value our employees and our goal is to reassign staff such that the temporary reassignments are accomplished with minimal disruption to families."

The three prisons are minimum custody facilities.

The staff members are being sent to other prisons with high officer vacancy rates.

The prison system said it has a correctional officer vacancy rate of 21 percent.