CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden spoke out against North Carolina's jail inspection process on Wednesday, arguing the state's review was unfair and that his office wasn't aware of a new standard for inspections.
Mecklenburg County has failed multiple state inspections for its jail in recent years, but McFadden held a news conference Wednesday morning to voice his complaints with the state and made some strong accusations against the Department of Health and Human Services. State law requires every detention center to be inspected at least twice per year, with some facilities being inspected more often on an "as necessary" basis. Those facilities could face further inspections for issues like in-custody deaths and other incidents of concern.
"I'm going to ask for an investigation to be created against the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, particularly the jail inspectors," McFadden said.
McFadden claims that Charles Brown, the state's assistant jail inspector, returned to Mecklenburg County on April 9 to conduct the standard semi-annual review of the jail. During that visit, McFadden alleges that Brown requested an "unusually large" volume of documents about supervision rounds in the jail. When asked about the request, Brown allegedly told the office that it was the new standard that was being implemented across the state. The sheriff then alleged that Brown changed his story when he confronted the inspector himself.
"He said this was a new process NCDHHS had created over the last few weeks," McFadden said, explaining how he asked Brown about this new procedure. "Mr. Brown, have you lied to my staff about the process and procedures that you are asking for? He says, 'Yes, I have lied.' If he lied about this, what else has he lied about?"
The sheriff claims state jail inspectors have targeted and scrutinized his facility far more than others in North Carolina over the past several years.
McFadden said he always welcomes inspections and certifications of the jail, but feels NCDHHS has been unfair in its efforts to check on detention centers statewide, arguing it's politically based. The sheriff is a longstanding opponent of efforts by lawmakers to require North Carolina law enforcement to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials by providing the immigration status of inmates and allowing ICE to pick them up from jail.
"Legislators and politicians say, 'We have to make them do whatever we need to do to make them listen,'" McFadden said. "The 'woke sheriffs,' and that's what they call us."
McFadden acknowledged there are areas he needs to improve at his facility, but says it's not as many as the state claims.
NCDHHS issued the following statement in response to McFadden's comments:
"Ensuring that jails operate within state law and rules is shared responsibility between county sheriffs and the NCDHHS’ Division of Health Service Regulation. NCDHHS staff are professional and experienced in doing these surveys for facilities across the state and we have confidence in our team. We take all concerns by those we serve seriously and will review appropriately."
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