Gov. Cooper’s office will talk with McFadden about sheriff’s jail inspection concerns

Gov. Roy Cooper and other state leaders have agreed to have talks with Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden about his concerns that state jail inspectors are unfairly targeting him and coming to inaccurate conclusions after people died in his jail.

McFadden previously voiced his concerns about the amount of data an inspector requested at a recent semi-annual inspection of the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. The sheriff also alleges that state inspectors are misreading data, leading to inaccurate conclusions about whether jail staff are making safety rounds required by law.

In a press release Friday, McFadden reiterated his concerns and shared letters he sent to the governor, Attorney General Josh Stein and state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley requesting conversations.

The sheriff’s office has reported two deaths in Mecklenburg jails this year.

Jails in North Carolina are inspected by the NC DHHS twice per year for compliance with state regulations. They are also inspected following a report of a death in the jail. An inspector will look to ensure safety regulations and proper protocol were followed.

McFadden has been critical of the health department and two jail inspectors for much of this month. At an April 10 press conference, the sheriff said that the inspectors “seemingly target” his detention center and apply extra scrutiny to it.

The Charlotte Observer has asked McFadden and his communications staff to provide details on specific reports in which he believes jail inspectors were unfair or mistaken in their conclusions. The sheriff’s office had not done that as of Friday.

The Department of Health and Human Services has said little about the sheriff’s complaints, and declined to make jail inspectors available for an interview.

“No detention center is perfect. Our detention center is not perfect, but we always strive to be,” McFadden said in the press release. “It is, however, imperative that the inspection process is conducted fairly and without bias to maintain public trust and ensure the safety and well-being of both staff and residents.”

Observer staff writer Ryan Oehrli contributed to this report.