RALEIGH -- Last year was a difficult year for prison employees in North Carolina. After seven years of no deadly incidents in the state, in 2017 alone, five people never made it home from work after attacks in Bertie and Pasquatank County prisons.

In December, Governor Roy Cooper adressed these deaths saying, “I grieve for these losses. They are completely unacceptable.”

Steps were taken almost immediately following the incidents, including a top to bottom review of the prison system.

There have been efforts to improve conditions for pirson workers; prison pay and benefits; but legislative leaders say that isn't enough.

“While salary is a part of it,” says Sen. Phil Berger, “it is a combination of salary, its training, its organization, its all of those things.  And we just need to do a deep dive and get some real reforms.”

The prison system is an executive agency, which means policies are set from folks within the governor's administration. But lawmakers say they expect to take action too.

“I certainly think we are going to want to continue those pay raises for corrections officers,” says Rep. Tim Moore, Speaker of the House. “But not only pay raises but things that we can do technology, otherwise, to make their jobs safer.”

And while all leaders say the goal is to make all prison employees safe when they go to work each day, they admit in order for that to happen, changes need to be implemented.

“I sense that that is happening that everyone is pulling together to make the changes necessary,” says Cooper.