CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Plans to reopen Jail North for juvenile offenders are on hold as Mecklenburg County leaders shift focus to a growing overcrowding crisis inside the main detention center and the organizations working inside those walls say the impact goes well beyond space and staffing.
Groups like Life Connections of the Carolinas and Step Up to Leadership work directly with people inside Mecklenburg County Detention Center, offering classes, mentorship and reentry support. But with the facility now housing more than 2,000 people, advocates say overcrowding is making that work more challenging.
“Classes start getting called off because officers can’t transport individuals to the classrooms,” Glenn Smith, founder and executive director of Life Connections of the Carolinas said. “Everything gets locked down.”…