Curtis Jesse Rhem was born on August 19, 1846, in Craven County, North Carolina. During the Civil War, Rhem served the Confederacy for four years and was twice wounded. He was hired into the state prison system in 1888, eventually being promoted up to superintendent of one of the two prison farms in Halifax County. In 1922, Rhem replaced Cephas N. Christian as superintendent of the prison farm at Raleigh. He died in Halifax on August 4, 1925.