Mecklenburg Sheriff, US Marshal OK deal to house detainees

MECKLENBURG COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

The U.S. Marshals Service struck a deal with Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office to fund the housing, transportation and care of federal detainees at Jail North while awaiting trial in the Western District of North Carolina.

Federal detainees are moving back to Mecklenburg County’s jails.

The U.S. Marshals Service and Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s office announced a deal last week that relocates people in federal custody to Jail North, which reopened last month with the transfer of 200 county detainees. Per the agreement, the federal government will fund the custody, care and transportation of Marshals Service detainees. 

“When law enforcement and criminal justice agencies work together through transparent collaboration, open communication, and an unwavering commitment to public safety, we reinforce accountability and the integrity of the justice system while demonstrating the unity and professionalism our communities expect and deserve,” Sheriff Garry McFadden said. “Today stands as a clear example of that commitment by bringing federal detainees back to the Sheriff’s Office’s North facility.” 

Under the agreement, federal detainees in Marshals Service custody with trials pending in the Western District of North Carolina will be relocated to Jail Central and Jail North, which had been closed since 2022. In 2023, federal detainees moved out of Mecklenburg at the end of the previous arrangement. Since then, pretrial detainees were held in as many as 14 different facilities, some as far as six hours away. The agency relies on partnerships with state and local governments to house federal detainees.

“Housing federal detainees in Mecklenburg County whose cases are pending in this district not only brings millions of federal dollars to North Carolina that otherwise went to other states, it benefits the federal justice system,” U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said. “It means defendants are closer to their attorneys—making it easier to prepare their defense and thus move cases faster—and closer to their families, which makes rehabilitation and reentry to society more likely to be successful. It also means shorter, quicker, and cheaper transportation to court, which makes it easier to schedule hearings and trials,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. 

Said Marshals Service Chief Deputy Chris Edge: “The U.S. Marshals Service is excited to once again house federal detainees with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. The MCSO and the USMS have a long-standing partnership. The reopening of Mecklenburg County Detention Center North will allow for the continued due process of federal detainees and ensure the federal judicial system operates efficiently.” 

Relocating detainees to Charlotte brings them closer to their families and attorneys as well as federal prosecutors who will have better access to jailed witnesses in other federal cases. Also, closer proximity to the federal courthouse reduces transportation challenges.

“This renewed arrangement between the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service makes the federal justice system work more efficiently, while returning federal resources to North Carolina,” Ferguson said. “When federal detainees can be housed closer to their attorneys, their families, and the courthouse, the whole system is smoother and more efficient.”

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