A version of the following article appeared in the September 2, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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Commissioners sign off on $3.2M plan to reopen county jail amid overcrowding; sheriff says juvenile detention facility future is up to the state
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden spoke at the county commissioners meeting on Sept. 1, 2026, to advocate for the reopening of Jail North due to overcrowding at Jail Central. (Screenshot from Mecklenburg County Government Youtube)
by Ashley Fahey
The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday night to support a request to reopen a jail in response to the rapid population growth at its uptown facility after Iryna’s Law passed late last year.
Sheriff Garry McFadden said at the meeting that 2,235 people were being held at Mecklenburg County’s Jail Central facility that day — the highest-ever recorded population for that facility in a single day. The center is supposed to hold a maximum of 1,791 people.
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