Last Thursday, the Stanly County district attorney approved the release of around 10 inmates from jail due to overcrowding. 

Shortly after the inmates were released, one of them was arrested for misdemeanor larceny. 

Among those released were people who were convicted of nonviolent crimes, with low bonds. According to Sheriff Jeff Crisco, there were more than 160 people in a jail with a maximum capacity of around 130. 

“It’s not like we can just go in there and release them,” Crisco said. “The district attorney’s office has to approve it.” 

In an interview last month, Capt. Christopher McDaniel, detention administrator at the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, said the number of inmates serving time largely depends on what time of year it is. He said the number of inmates goes up during the summer, since the county population goes up. 

Crisco said releasing inmates due to overcrowding is a common practice for jails around the nation. To date, there are roughly 36,000 inmates in the North Carolina prison system.