Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden says reopening Jail North won't end the overcrowding crisis at Charlotte's main lockup.
Three days after county commissioners voted unanimously to spend $3.2 million on the reopening, McFadden issued a Friday, Sept. 4 news release warning that more than 200 people could remain sleeping on stack-a-bunks at the uptown Detention Center Central, according to the Charlotte Observer.
"This cannot become an opportunity to declare victory and move on without addressing the rising needs and concerns," McFadden said in the release.
The sheriff said the plan to move about 200 people to Jail North still leaves the main facility well over its 1,791-person capacity. At least 80 people sentenced to the state Department of Adult Correction remain at the uptown jail and cannot be transferred because of state capacity limits.
One building holds record jail population
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, McFadden told commissioners that 2,235 people were being held at Detention Center Central. The Charlotte Ledger reported it was the highest single-day population ever recorded at the facility. The building is designed for 1,791.
In 2008, the county's last peak year, Mecklenburg housed a similar number across three facilities. McFadden is now holding 2,200-plus in one building, he told WCCB Charlotte.
The Sheriff's Office attributed the surge partly to Iryna's Law (House Bill 307), which changed pretrial release rules when it took effect Dec. 1, 2025. Since then, daily custody numbers have risen about 36%, or roughly 577 people, according to WCNC Charlotte.
Commission Chairman Mark Jerrell told WCNC Charlotte that Iryna's Law caused the jail population to surge.
Staffing and funding questions ahead
Jail North, located off Statesville Road north of uptown, will initially open four housing units with 224 beds. The facility passed inspection before the vote, Spectrum News reported, and McFadden said his team could be ready within two weeks.
Staffing is the next hurdle. McFadden said he needs about 80 more detention officer positions, roughly 20 per shift, Axios Charlotte reported. Medical providers are also still finalizing staffing plans for both facilities.
Two people died in custody at the Mecklenburg County jail in August, Axios Charlotte reported.
The bulk of the $3.2 million will come from state and federal sources plus revenue from concealed-carry permit fees, McFadden told commissioners. Commissioner Elaine Powell called the reopening "very necessary" and a public health matter at the Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting.
McFadden signaled a larger funding request is coming, saying in the Friday, Sept. 4 release that the county will soon ask for more assistance as the jail population continues to grow. Axios Charlotte reported the county should expect that request in the next budget cycle.
No date has been announced for the next commissioners' discussion on jail funding.
