The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Department addressed concerns from state jail inspectors during a press conference Wednesday morning.
Recently, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services noted that the county’s central detention center had not met state guidelines, specifically related to pod tour — routine checks of inmate safety — protocol.
Why it matters: Recently, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office has had several deaths of intimates while in custody, leaving area residents concerned about general safety in the jails.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden expressed that he believed the inspections lacked “fairness.” and looks forward to having further conversations about it.
Safety concerns
WBTV reported two weeks ago that the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an inmate at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center.
Before that, QCity Metro reported that a man died after he was found unresponsive in a Mecklenburg jail in January 2024.
Required pod tours
During pod tours, Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office staff are required to check on all pods to ensure the safety of inmates. Staff must complete a visual check at each cell or pod.
State guidelines require pods to be checked at least two times within 60 minutes with no more than 40 minutes between each round, according to North Carolina Administrative Code 14J.0601.
Pod tours at the detention center take place 48 times per day, and according to McFadden, the checks are within 15 minutes of one another.
McFadden said, “The intervals between the tours were within the tour requirement,” but that there are interruptions and other day-to-day occurrences that can impact the schedule.
McFadden pointed out that during those pod tours, inmates may have needs like medical emergencies that need to also be addressed, which can delays.
At the press conference, McFadden said that jail inspectors do not account for the reasons for these delays in time gaps.
McFadden told reporters Wednesday that he has requested a discussion with the chief jail inspector at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners in the future to “gain better insight on the current state of the facility.”
