By Jonathan Rodriguez
WNCT
GREENVILLE, N.C. — Too many inmates and not enough beds. It’s a problem the Pitt County Detention Center is facing and the sheriff is warning county leaders it’s time to start thinking about options.
“Our local inmate population rose up to a level that’s caused us to be overcapacity. When we mix the federal inmates in, we’re way over capacity,” explained Sheriff Neil Elks. He says the number of local inmates has been on the rise.
“It kind of hit us overnight. July, August, September, it started going up through the roof,” said Elks, and he says that number could keep growing. The Pitt County Detention Center has 596 beds, but due to limited staff and funding, they can only manage 500.
Full story: Too Many Inmates, Not Enough Beds