Garry McFadden

Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden spoke emphatically outside the General Assembly against H.B. 10, a Republican-sponsored proposal that was approved Tuesday by the state House of Representatives.

The safety of Mecklenburg County’s main jail has become a big issue. In December, the state said staffing shortages were posing a safety threat, and it is the top topic in this month's Democratic primary for sheriff. Now retired Maj. Jeff Eason said much of the jail's problems were the result of Sheriff Garry McFadden's management style.

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden told county commissioners Tuesday that his staff has not received a break since the pandemic started. He made the comment during his presentation addressing safety concerns and staffing shortages at the jail.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a woman died in custody at the Mecklenburg County Jail on Wednesday.

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden says he is working to address staff shortages at the Mecklenburg County jail, but at a news conference Friday, he told reporters the problem may partially be out of his control.

Staff members at the Mecklenburg County jail are making repairs and cleaning up the facility after a state inspection found several health and safety violations last month.

Staffing shortages at the jail in uptown Charlotte, exacerbated by COVID-19, have prompted North Carolina health officials to ask the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office to reduce its inmate population. The state says current conditions “jeopardize the safe custody, safety health or welfare” of inmates and jail staff.

Six jail employees have been fired this year after being accused of crimes, and a report from The Charlotte Observer alleges staff violations in the deaths of two inmates. However, commissioners say the incidents prove the sheriff's commitment to accountability.

North Carolina Senate Bill 101 would force sheriffs to learn the immigration status of inmates and help the federal government to detain them. It’s the latest in a series of bills trying to force cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including one vetoed by the governor in 2019.

Activists from the group Jail Support were arrested Monday morning after a sit-in protest across the street from the Mecklenburg County jail. The group…