Miriam Schaul: Keith employees competent

Regarding the Oct. 31 news article “McCrory brokered meeting to extend donor’s contracts”: In my experience in the N.C. Department of Public Safety, I have worked in prisons maintained by Keith Corp. employees and ones maintained by state employees.

I would like to commend the quality and professionalism of the Keith employees. They were always there when needed. They were competent and polite and always projected the attitude: “I am here to help you.”

They worked with and served as role models for some of the hardest core inmates in the state, and I know from personal experience they helped some of those inmates overcome personal crises, thus maintaining the stability and calm in the institution.

I hope they do not become innocent victims of the latest contract controversy. They deserve their jobs, and the state will lose an asset if these workers have to leave.

However, I do agree that the maintenance of the outside security should be left to state-approved personnel.

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Miriam Schaul: Keith employees competent."