STATEWIDE, NC (WECT) - Senators and State Representatives will often contact the Department of Corrections on behalf of prison inmates, asking for them to be transferred to prisons closer to home, or even paroled. It may surprise you – but it's common practice for some of our elected leaders in Raleigh.
This came to light several months ago when former State Senator RC Soles spoke to WECT about his efforts over the years on behalf of criminals. We've learned he's not the only one using his elected office to help inmates.
Through a freedom of information request, WECT obtained hundreds of pages of correspondence between Soles and the Department of Corrections.
Some are letters of recommendation from Soles for people seeking employment with the prison system. There are also dozens and dozens of letters seeking transfers for inmates, and in one case, parole for a man convicted of kidnapping, rape and murder.
"I am not going to turn my back on anybody, as long as I can help," Soles told us when asked about this. "I'm trying to do what I think is right."
The inmates Soles has helped include at least six convicted murderers. Many more are serving time for armed robbery, and at least one is a child sex offender.
[See the nature of Soles' correspondence with the Department of Corrections]
Judging by the language in Soles' letters, he has never met some of the inmates he's helped. Others are people Soles has had long, notorious relationships with, including BJ Wright and Allen Strickland.
"I got two different letters from Allen," Soles explained, "asking me to put in a word for him that he wanted to come back to White Lake when he got through with his assignment and orientation, and I had his mother in Tabor City to come by, and Jenny, the little girl that he goes with, they all came by. It was something that I've done 200 times before, and I guarantee every member of the legislature has done it."
Apparently not. We polled all of the state legislators from our viewing area, and found most of them have never requested any favors for people serving in state prison. However, on a limited basis, State Representatives Dewey Hill and Susi Hamilton say they have made inmate transfer requests, after being contacted by inmates' family members.
"I would hope that, that elected official would do his research, background on the criminal, before he acts," said Birdie Frink, a victims' rights advocate who knows this practice has been going on for years.
Frink's daughter, Amy, was raped and murdered at age 18. Frink says having legislators reach out on behalf of criminals can be upsetting to victims' families.
"It's the criminal having more rights than the victim," she explained. "It's a slap in the victim's face. It's like they are being victimized over and over."
Frink says she understands that it can be difficult for inmates' loved ones to visit when they are incarcerated far from home. But often times, the inmates home town and the victims home town are one and the same, and having the inmates serving their time so nearby can cause fear and anger for the victims families.
Frink says she thinks anytime an inmate is going to be moved closer to a victim or a victims family, the victims should be notified, and preferably, consulted about their wishes regarding the transfer.
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State Senator RC Soles spoke to WECT about his efforts over the years on behalf of criminals.
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