(The Center Square) – Testifying before a North Carolina legislative committee Monday, the sheriff of Mecklenburg County defended a music studio for inmates in the county jail.
State Rep. Carla Cunningham, a Democrat from Mecklenburg County, asked Sheriff Garry McFadden about the studio.
“The family members of some of the victims that were murdered were very upset about that,” the legislator said. “Do you think that’s appropriate to have a music studio for people to rap in that are in jail for rape for murder or other felonies?”
McFadden replied, “Every single one of us in here listens to music.”
Music, he said, is part of rehabilitating inmates, the sheriff said.
“You can look at many studies and see that music helps us,” he said. “We should be talking about the mental health that is incorporated inside a detention center. We should highlight all we do for the good of helping young men and women be rehabilitated.”
Cunningham is one of five people who have filed a petition to remove McFadden from office, alleging that the sheriff threatened to withhold law enforcement protection for the legislator unless she voted to sustain the governor’s veto of a bill the sheriff opposed.
House members were critical of McFadden for his department’s compliance with requests by ICE to notify the agency at least 48 hours before releasing illegal immigrants who are subject to deportation.
According to legislators, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Department has missed out on federal grants because of its low compliance rate on ICE detainers. McFadden said he was not aware of any grants lost or ICE detainers ignored
“We all know this has been a political battle,” he said. “We have never not notified ICE of someone coming to our detention center. Simply, that is a political play. We have always followed the law in notifying ICE.”
McFadden was one of six invited to testify. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles; City Manager Marcus Jones; Charlotte Police Chief Estella Patterson; Brent Cagle, the interim CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System; and Spencer Merriweather, the district attorney for the District 26, were also on the agenda.
