North Carolina’s prison system is struggling with hundreds of vacant positions as the starting pay remains stuck around $18 an hour. Correctional officers are leaving in droves for better pay elsewhere. There’s not enough money to pay the bills for basic operations. And the state’s 55 prison facilities have more than a billion dollars in deferred maintenance needs, from air conditioning systems to fire alarms.

Much of the problem stems from the legislature's inability to pass a budget, and Gov. Josh Stein is asking for "critical needs" funding to begin addressing the problems. To better understand the issues, WUNC News Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell sat down with Secretary Leslie Dismukes at the headquarters of the N.C. Department of Adult Correction in Raleigh.