CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Drug overdose deaths are on the rise, and it's got families of loved ones and law enforcement asking how that happens in what is supposed to be a secured facility. WCNC Charlotte took a closer look at a troubling trend inside our jail system.
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office is investigating and you might be surprised by what they found.
Behind a lock and key, the Mecklenburg County Jail must be secure. Sheriff Garry McFadden sits at the helm, and he mostly knows what's coming in and what's going out.
“We are very strict," McFadden said. "We are taking it very seriously and you always have to stay a step ahead.”
He knows what comes through the doors, even something as simple as mail. There are expectations of what can't be sent, too.
“Material inside, perfume, photos, porn, wood, magnates, staples, paperclips," McFadden said. "One that shouldn't have to be said, fentanyl."
Fentanyl is making it inside, and it's killing inmates. McFadden said it's coming through and it's difficult to see.
"They take the greeting card and they soak it in whatever fentanyl solution they have and they dry it out,” McFadden explained.
The card is then signed, sealed and sent before it's delivered to the inmate inside the jail.
"They will then get the card, tear it up, put it in hot water or coffee, and just like a tea bag, it seeps out into the drink.”
McFadden said if a few people share the same cup and use their own doses, it's even worse. McFadden said an Alka-Seltzer is a good example to explain what he means by this.
"When you put the AlkaSeltzer in, it fizzes and you drink it, but when you put it down you see some of the residue," McFadden said. So, if you do it five times in the same cup, that last person gets a dose plus the other ones and that person dies.”
To get a handle on this, the jail made a change.
"If you write someone, that will now go to P.O. box 247 in Phoenix, Maryland," McFadden said. "They then scan the letter in and the scan will pop up on the resident’s tablet.”
The Mecklenburg County Jail now partners with the company Text Behind. The CEO, Zia Rana, said the jail now joins dozens of others across the country with the system. It's a way inmates can still connect with the outside world in the safest way possible.
“We launched to the public in 2015," Rana said. "Anywhere from 40 to 80% of contraband comes through the mail. We have done well over five million pieces of mail since the operation began in 2018, and there has not been a single incident.”
Another step ahead, or so they thought.
There's been dozens of cases which ruled a detention center must give an inmate their physical legal mail. That's a mailing address from an attorney, but some are still trying to be one step ahead.
“If you know your lawyer's name and address, and can go to Staples, buy an envelope, put the lawyer's name on it and stamp it, legal mail. It looks just like it comes from a lawyer.”
McFadden said they now require inmates to open the legal mail in front of detention officers.
With these changes, there are groups pushing against this. A 2022 report from the Prison Policy Initiative said digitalized mail harms the people in jail. They said it fails to make a jail or prison safer and it impacts the person's mental health.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is committed to reporting on the many issues impacting the communities we serve. We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. WCNC Charlotte is seeking solutions for you. Send your tips or questions to newstips@wcnc.com.
