Scotland County jail overcrowding is raising serious concerns about safety and staffing at the county detention center.
Sheriff Ralph Kersey recently addressed the Scotland County Board of Commissioners about conditions inside the jail, which was designed to hold 109 inmates but is currently housing 189.
According to the sheriff, 80 incarcerated individuals are sleeping on floor pads because of the lack of available beds.
Staffing Levels Add to Safety Concerns
Kersey said the detention center is operating with only three to four employees working each shift.
The sheriff warned that the combination of overcrowding and low staffing levels creates potential safety concerns for employees and incarcerated individuals.
Kersey pointed to a recent hostage situation at a detention facility in Bertie County as an example of the potential dangers facing understaffed facilities.
He told commissioners that the Bertie County facility had 88 inmates and four employees on a shift at the time of that incident. By comparison, Kersey said the Scotland County jail currently has 189 inmates with three to four employees working each shift.
Sheriff Calls for Action
The sheriff told county leaders that overcrowding creates problems when cells designed for two people are forced to hold six or seven.
Kersey has five months remaining in office and said he does not want his successor to inherit the same problems he faced when he became sheriff.
At the time of the sheriff’s presentation, county commissioners had not announced new funding or corrective action to address the Scotland County jail overcrowding issue.
The situation could remain an important public safety and budget issue for Scotland County as officials consider how to address a jail population that is far beyond the facility’s designed capacity.
