Guy out as Perdue team takes shape

Governor-elect's first Cabinet picks signal a sweeping restructuring of Correction Department

RALEIGH -- Robert Lee Guy, the man at the helm of the state's probation system for the past 11 years, will be out of the job when Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue takes office.

It remains to be seen who will step in to fix the system plagued by high turnover and vacancies in urban offices. The disarray meant that many offenders were left unwatched -- and some went on to kill.

"There has to be accountability in state government, and if you're not doing the job, it's time to move on," said Eugene Brown, a city council member in Durham, where the probation office has been riddled by dysfunction. "The evidence was all there that it was time."

Guy, 53, spent his career with the probation system. He started as a street-level officer in Eastern North Carolina and quickly climbed the ladder until being tapped in 1997 as director of the N.C. Division of Community Corrections.

As head of the probation system, he was responsible for a budget of $133.7 million and in charge of more than 2,500 employees assigned to monitor 118,000 probationers and parolees.

Guy's departure was confirmed Friday by two Perdue transition spokespeople, David Kochman and Chrissy Pearson, after the governor-elect announced three new Cabinet secretaries to watch over the state's law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Perdue takes over from Gov. Mike Easley on Jan. 10.

Alvin W. Keller Jr., a retired Marine colonel and military judge, will become the state's new correction secretary. He will replace Guy's boss, Theodis Beck, who said in late November he was stepping down at the start of this year. Keller, who is an assistant attorney general handling criminal appellate cases, addressed the probation system's problems in brief remarks at Friday's news conference.

"People who are being placed on probation will have to understand that there are adverse consequences for not following the terms of their probation," Keller said.

Keller did not explain how he will do that or how he will address the management problems within the department. He could not be reached after the news conference.

Guy was pushed into the spotlight last year after after two high-profile killings raised questions about the oversight of people on probation.

At the time, he said those cases were "flat-out embarrassments" and resolved to fix the system. But as the months went on, problems persisted. Offenders were not watched, high turnover plagued offices already struggling with vacancies, and there were lags in technological advances that could have helped officers do their jobs.

Guy did not respond to several requests for comment Friday, but in an interview in October, he said: "It's been a pretty emotional roller-coaster ride. I didn't expect my career to be coming to an end like this."

It was unclear whether Guy would have another assignment with the state or retire.

Last month, the News & Observer reported that 580 probationers had killed since the start of 2000. The series also showed that the probation system had lost track of nearly 14,000 convicted criminals and that Guy and other leaders missed chances to help officers keep up with their charges. Several people who were convicted of murder or manslaughter had been arrested while on probation or had gone months without being contacted by a probation officer.

Kel Landis, a former chief executive of RBC Centura and an Easley business adviser who has known Guy for years, said he was impressed by how Guy acknowledged problems in the department. When public officials take responsibility, that leadership should be commended, Landis said.

"From the start, he said there's a problem," he said. "He knew it was an issue and he didn't run from it."

Others were less charitable in their assessment of Guy's leadership.

"Obviously I feel much more management oversight is needed," said Ellen Reckhow, chairwoman of the county commissioners in Durham. Guy himself described the probation office there as one of the worst-functioning in the state.

Wake and Durham counties have had years of problems keeping track of offenders while dealing with high turnover and caseloads bordering on unmanageable.

The turnover at the top of the state's public safety agencies could mean big changes. Reuben Young, a former prosecutor who has been the chief legal counsel to Easley, will lead the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. Linda Hayes, chairwoman of the Governor's Crime Commission, will head Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Jennie Lou Lancaster, a retired correction employee who oversaw operations in a dozen prisons, will become the department's chief operating officer.

Records kept by the state Board of Election show that Lancaster supported Perdue and contributed nearly $2,400 to her campaign during the past two years. Keller did not contribute to any state political campaigns during that time.

Keller and Lancaster also plan to meet with a federal group, the National Institute of Correction, that audited the probation system last year to discuss its findings.

Perdue asked that Keller submit a list of the five biggest problems in the correction agency within 60 days of her inauguration.