Charlotte has reopened a massive jail facility as local officials try to ease overcrowding and reduce the pressure behind the city’s revolving-door criminal justice problem.
Mecklenburg County’s Jail North has more than 700 beds and is now housing detainees again after years of limited use.
The move gives Mecklenburg County badly needed detention space as its Uptown jail continues to struggle with crowding. Last month, officials said about 100 inmates were stuck in county custody because state facilities lacked space or staffing.
Sheriff Garry McFadden has also partnered with the U.S. Marshals Service to bring federal detainees back to Charlotte.
Roughly 350 federal detainees are currently being held across North Carolina. Housing more of them locally could also bring additional federal revenue into Mecklenburg County.
