Podcast From The Pods

About Podcast From The Pods

Podcast From The Pods is a compelling new series hosted by Sheriff Garry McFadden with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office. The podcast offers an unfiltered look inside the Detention Center and delves into the daily realities of incarceration, highlighting transformative initiatives aimed at rehabilitation and community reintegration. Listeners will gain insight into innovative reform efforts, family connectivity, resident perspectives, community engagement and much more. Tune in and learn more about the complexities of the criminal justice system.

Publisher

Sheriff Garry McFadden

Category

news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 May 2025

Latest episode

10 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Jul 2026

   Couch Conversations: What a Sheriff Really Does, the Job You Don't Always See

   Welcome to Couch Conversations! CC is a new, special series from Podcast From the Pods, where Sheriff McFadden steps away from the studio for a candid discussion about the issues shaping Mecklenburg County. In this first installment above, he explores the importance of having honest, genuine conversations about the role of a sheriff, offering insight into the responsibilities, challenges, and realities the Sheriff’s Office faces every day. The goal is to foster greater understanding, transparency, and dialogue between law enforcement and the community.

2. 

   25 Jun 2026

   Behind the Numbers, It's More Than a Jail Issue

   In this episode, Sheriff McFadden takes listeners inside the growing overcrowding crisis at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center, where the population has reached more than 2,113 residents. The Sheriff explains what life looks like inside an overcrowded jail, where residents awaiting trial - not yet convicted of a crime - are competing for limited resources, including phones, showers, medical care, and living space. In some housing units, 84 residents share just six phones and 12 showers. While stack-a-bunk bedding systems have replaced floor sleeping, space remains extremely limited. The episode also highlights the enormous medical demands facing the detention center. More than 1,000 residents require medication, with many arriving with untreated medical conditions, substance abuse disorders, behavioral health needs, and mental health challenges. Medical staff conduct approximately 100 medical visits every day, while medication is distributed to more than 1,000 residents multiple times daily. Sheriff McFadden emphasizes that the Sheriff’s Office does not control who enters or leaves the jail and calls on the community to help address the issue before individuals become justice-involved. He encourages churches, businesses, advocacy groups, families, and community organizations to spread awareness and help people avoid decisions that could land them behind bars. The conversation also expands beyond the jail walls, connecting overcrowding to larger community challenges, such as housing affordability and economic instability. The Sheriff discusses the reality that deputies recently evicted 89 families the Monday after Father’s Day and the difficult choices many struggling families face. He argues that preventing incarceration requires investing in pathways to stability, including housing, employment opportunities, and community support.

3. 

   3 Jun 2026

   From COVID to Overcrowding: A Detention Officer’s Perspective

   In the latest installment of the "Podcast from the Pods" series, Sheriff McFadden sits down with Detention Officer York to discuss the realities of working inside the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. Officer York, who works closely with residents' families and their concerns, shares her perspective on the detention center's current challenges, particularly the ongoing overcrowding crisis. During their conversation, the two reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the last major hardships the facility faced, and compare it to the pressures staff and residents are experiencing today. For Officer York, maintaining a positive environment starts with encouraging and supporting one another, noting that staff attitudes often influence the energy and behavior of those in custody. For Sheriff McFadden, the discussion provided valuable insight into the daily challenges detention staff face and offered a deeper understanding of how overcrowding impacts both employees and residents.

Who has been a guest on Podcast From The Pods

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• John Bunn
• Alura Dannin
• Abdullah Malik
• mother

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

3.7 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 12 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

25

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0