A Columbus County man convicted of raping a child under 13 and sentenced to life in prison may be paroled next year.
Terry E. Smith, 67, was convicted of rape of a child under 13 in Columbus County Superior court in May 1991. The N.C. Post Release Supervision and Parole Commission said today in a news release today that Smith is being considered for the Mutual Agreement Parole Program (MAPP).
MAPP is a “scholastic and vocational program that is a three-way agreement between the Commission, Division of Prisons and the offender,” the press release said.
The state’s structured sentencing law removed parole as an option for crimes committed after Oct. 1, 1994. Inmates convicted under the old rules still must be considered for release.
Smith has one infraction from 2008, when he was charged with possession of a weapon by an inmate. He is currently housed in the New Hanover Correctional Center.
Smith will be released Jan. 4, 2027.
