Episode

Inside North Carolina’s prison crisis as a former inmate turns a state prison into a second-chance campus

Podcast
Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins
Published
May 28, 2026
Duration seconds
3013
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://www.wfae.org/show/charlotte-talks-with-mike-collins/2026-05-27/inside-north-carolinas-prison-crisis-as-a-former-inmate-turns-a-state-prison-into-a-second-chance-campus
Audio
https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s380/audio/2026/05/ctpod20260528.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/charlotte-talks-with-mike-collins-6469304/episodes/inside-north-carolina-s-prison-crisis-as-a-former-inmate-turns-a-state-prison-into-a-second-chance-campus
Markdown
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Summary

North Carolina’s prison system is facing a crisis, from severe staffing shortages and budget pressures to the growing needs of an aging inmate population. We sit down with Secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes to talk about the mounting concerns. Then we hear the story of Kerwin Pittman, a former inmate who is now transforming an abandoned prison into a space focused on opportunity, healing and second chances.