Will prisons in Hurricane Florence's path evacuate inmates?

What happens to state prisoners in the path of a hurricane, especially those prisons and county jails near the coastline.

As thousands flee Hurricane Florence, there are many who are not free to leave at all. As the Category 2 storm bears down on the East Coast, both North and South Carolina officials have to make some big decisions about what to do with their prison inmates.

In South Carolina, there are currently three major prisons that could be affected because they're close to the coast. MacDougall Correctional Facility has about 650 inmates. Ridgeland Correctional Institution has more than 900 inmates and the Palmer Pre-Release Center in Florence has about 266 prisoners.

Right now, the only inmates that will be moved farther inland are from the Palmer Pre-Release Center.

However, South Carolina officials say prisoners at the other two will have to stay put. Why? According to local reports, state officials say it's safer than moving them because those prisons apparently can withstand a major storm or hurricane.

North Carolina is they are evacuating hundreds of inmates from state prisons and county jails. But in protecting the people transporting the inmate transfer, no information will be available until the inmates are at their new location.