‘Iryna’s Law’ puts more people in NC’s biggest jails, adds to overcrowding
More people are being held in the state’s largest jails under “Iryna’s Law” even as some of those jails are overfilled.
In Mecklenburg County, Sheriff Garry McFadden has lamented overcrowding since the law went into effect last December and required that more people be held in custody. The sheriff has admitted that he is worried as some people in uptown Charlotte’s jail sleep on floor bunks.
Asked about McFadden’s concerns last month, state House Speaker Destin Hall said that he has not heard from many other sheriffs.
“The law we passed made sure that folks who were in jail were not being unduly released when they had a mental health issue or something that would endanger the public… I’m less concerned about the crowding of the jail than I am somebody committing the murder on the train… I know Mecklenburg County has a big budget down there, and, you know, maybe spend some on the jail rather than whatever vanity project they’re doing,” Hall said.
But McFadden and Mecklenburg County are not alone.
The Charlotte Observer reached out to sheriff’s offices in North Carolina’s six largest counties and asked how many people were in their jails when “Iryna’s Law” went into effect on Dec. 1, 2025, and in the last week of May.
Consistently, jail numbers are up, though some more dramatically than others.
While a wide variety of factors can affect jail numbers — more people tend to get charged with crimes and booked in the summer, for example — several agencies the Observer contacted said “Iryna’s Law” at least contributed to the increases.
What the numbers say
Wake County, the largest county in the state and home to Raleigh, saw its jail population between two facilities grow from 1,564 to 1,741. The facilities are supposed to house no more than 1,574 people.
In a statement, Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe said the overall number of people in his jails has been growing for years. But he noted that the number of people held without bond, in particular, has “ballooned” since “Iryna’s Law” went into effect.
On Dec. 1, 2025, there were 198 people in custody in Wake County without a bond, Rowe said. By April, there were 424.
The sheriff expects a jail expansion to add hundreds of new beds, he said. And he said he is working with county commissioners to offer competitive pay, referral and retention bonuses and flexible work schedules to draw in new detention officers.
“The Wake County Sheriff’s Office values the support received by our local, state, and federal partners as we continue to fulfill our legislative responsibilities and effectively manage the care of those committed to our custody,” Rowe said.
WRAL reported in April that, as the sheriff’s office dealt with overcrowding, some people were sleeping on bunks on the floor. Nearby counties also took in some Wake County defendants. District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told WRAL then that “Iryna’s Law” exacerbated overcrowding, and that the bill might need some tweaking.
“A lot of times, what you see is a law is passed. It may be an overcorrection,” Freeman said.
Mecklenburg County’s total numbers grew from 1,622 in December to 2,085 in May. The jail in uptown Charlotte is designed to hold up to 1,791 people. Later this summer, McFadden plans to reopen a former juvenile jail and keep adults there to manage overflow.
“Iryna’s Law” is to blame for the overcrowding, he has said often.
The U.S. attorney and federal public defender in Western North Carolina say a plan is in the works to help with crowding in Mecklenburg County. The county will again hold people charged federally, which brings federal revenue to the county, they said.
In Guilford County, jails in Greensboro and High Point have climbed from holding 973 to 1,140. The High Point jail was beyond capacity in May.
“Our Detention Centers have experienced a notable increase in population over the past several months,” Guilford County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Bria Evans said in an email. “While multiple factors can influence jail populations, the implementation of Iryna’s Law has likely contributed to some of that increase.”
Neighboring Forsyth County’s jail population rose from 907 to 953. Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Krista Karcher also said “Iryna’s Law” contributed to the uptick.
Durham County’s numbers grew from 434 to 519. Cumberland County went from 755 to 770. Neither of those sheriff’s offices commented on whether they believed “Iryna’s Law” had affected their numbers.
What’s changed — and what will change
State lawmakers wrote “Iryna’s Law” in response to the killing of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train. A video of the stabbing drew outrage across the country, including from President Donald Trump.
Now, under the law named after her, magistrates and judges in North Carolina must be stricter when setting release conditions for people charged with violent crimes.
Shortly after Gov. Josh Stein signed the bill, McFadden criticized it for not giving law enforcement agencies more resources.
Another part of the bill that requires some suspects in crimes to undergo mental health evaluations will kick in this December. Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Robert Abee, who oversees arrest processing at Charlotte’s jail, expects that change to tie up his staff even more.
But it will not end with the sheriff’s office, Abee said: Magistrates will have to determine if someone needs a mental health evaluation. Police will have to take people to hospitals for those evaluations. Hospital staff will have to conduct the evaluations.
“You’re talking about not 30 minutes — you’re talking about hours,” Abee said.
His arrest processing team tries to make booking a suspect quick for patrol officers, he said. That way they can get back on the street and focus on crime.
“Now, you’re taking that officer away from working their zone a whole lot more if they’ve got to go sit at the hospital more frequently for mental health evaluations,” he said.
