Unfortunately, correctional officers are overworked and way underpaid. Add vaccine mandates and anti-law enforcement sentiment into the mix, and we have a recipe for disaster. Not to mention the fact that the same people refusing to fund reasonable salaries for correctional officers are also anti-private prisons. It's a lose-lose situation, no doubt about it.
The NC jail in question apparently cannot maintain basic cleanliness and health standards:
he Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office says it’s working to reduce its jail population after a state inspection found “significant safety concerns around staffing shortages,” some driven by COVID-19 outbreaks that have sickened some 81 workers and more than a fourth of inmates.
Source
The department is only able to fill about 70% of the positions available, which means about 30% of the jail population is about to be freed.
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office has struggled with many issues recently, including attacks on officers and regular safety concerns due to lack of resources.
What do you think the solution is for departments who cannot maintain the proper level of staffing?