Wake County jail approaching capacity
The Wake County Jail is quickly approaching capacity, Sheriff Willie Rowe said.
The county’s capacity is 1,574 inmates and there are currently 1,499 inmates as of Wednesday.
"We do not have inmates sleeping on the floor,” Rowe said.
However, the number of inmates changes each day.
Rowe said 48 cells are getting remodeled, which has contributed to a space shortage.
“We need more space,” Rowe said. “We need more staff. We need more agencies that are working within the community to help people.”
Rowe said the jail has 134 positions open for detention officers. He explained what he’s doing to fill the gap.
“We do allow staff to do overtime, so we can bring them in to fill every position,” Rowe said. “We are actively recruiting. We have an academy going on right now."
Wake County has 1,568 beds between the smaller downtown jail and the larger detention center at 3301 Hammond Road.
When those beds are filled, the jail uses beds called EZ bunks that are placed in common areas.
The jail still needs space, Rowe said.
A possible solution is to open the old annex at 3400 Hammond Road, which is in a separate building across the street from the detention center. It would add another 240 beds, which would bring the total number of beds to 1,792.
Rowe says it will also take outside forces to help decrease the jail population. He suggested a private-public, faith-based partnership to “address the conduct of people.”
