The Overview

If you have a family member who works on probation, or you simply care about the people who keep North Carolina's communities safe, this new law is worth knowing about. A new North Carolina law extends tuition waivers to survivors and spouses of probation officers and raises the annual limit on Correction Enterprises products from $2,500 to $4,000 for state, National Guard, and local government employees and retirees. ​

North Carolina's Support the Dept. of Adult Correction, SB 355 became law when Gov. Josh Stein (D) signed it July 7. The state has faced a severe correctional officer shortage: a February 2026 report found North Carolina's prisons needed 9,682 officers but had a shortfall of 4,703, nearly half of required positions, according to NC Health News.

What the Law Does

  • Tuition waivers: Survivors and spouses of probation officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty now qualify for free tuition at University of North Carolina institutions and community colleges, extending a benefit previously limited to survivors of law enforcement and correctional officers.
  • Correction Enterprises purchases: The annual spending limit for state employees, retirees, National Guard members, and local government workers buying from the prison industries program rises from $2,500 to $4,000.
  • Substance abuse services: Department of Adult Correction facilities may now provide substance abuse assessments and alcohol and drug education traffic school to incarcerated people at no charge, helping them meet requirements to restore a driver's license.
  • Supervision and parole: A single member of the Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission may now set or modify supervision terms and authorize letters of reprimand.
  • Retirement eligibility: Vested probation and parole officers who move into full-time training roles at the Department's Office of Staff Development and Training keep their eligibility for supplemental retirement benefits.

Legislative Status

Sens. Warren Daniel and Danny Britt, both Republicans, led the bill, with cosponsors Newton, Burgin, Hanig, Moffitt, and Sanderson. The Senate passed the bill 44-0 on May 6, 2025.

Gov. Stein said the law "supports correctional, probational, and parole officer retention" and "facilitates reentry, increasing people's chances of success." Most of the law took effect immediately; one provision on sexually violent predator review boards takes effect on Dec. 1st.

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