There is an imminent threat to safety of inmates and staff at the jail in Charlotte. Not to mention jail food is horrible. And some inmates show up to jail processing stank.
The Mecklenburg County Jail in uptown Charlotte, NC just received a very bad inspection report analysis by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The jail has an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak with approximately 81 staff members infected and over one-fourth of the inmate population currently reported as infected with COVID-19.
The state found that over crowding at the jail is a problem, partly due to a staff shortage. The state ordered that the jail be de-populated by at least 400 inmates. Many former jail staff members quit their jobs and complained about Sheriff Garry Mcfadden’s leadership style and jail tactics.
During the December 21, 2021 inspection, conditions were found that fail to meet some of the minimum standards for local confinement facilities in North Carolina. These conditions jeopardize the safe custody, safety, health, or welfare of the inmates and detention staff.
There are significant safety concerns around staffing shortages. The jail staffing shortages pose an imminent threat to the safety of inmates and staff at the Mecklenbug County Jail.
These shortages will continue and may increase due to the number of inmates that are housed at the jail.
The staffing shortages leave doubt as to whether the inmates can be safely evacuated from the jail in the event of an emergency. There has also been an increase in the number of incidents that have resulted in the injury of staff and inmates.
55-year-old inmate Emerson Healy died at the Mecklenburg County Jail.
A Sergeant at the Mecklenburg County Jail was stabbed several times.
There have been delays in the response time to providing assistance to staff to control the violent incidents at the jail. And in one case, medical attention to an injured staff member was delayed.
A female jail guard was stabbed by an inmate.
3 jail detention officers were assaulted and one guard was stabbed during a fight.
A jail guard was cut in the head by an inmate.
Due to the staffing shortages, it has been determined that the jail should take immediate action to de-populate the facility to a level that can be managed by available staff. The recommended de-population is that the jail should have less than 1,000 inmates.
The jail currently has approximately 1407 inmates.
The COVID-19 outbreak at the Mecklenburg County Jail exacerbates an already serious staffing shortage.
