CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Iryna’s Law will go into effect in North Carolina on Dec. 1, instituting significant changes to the state’s criminal justice system.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed Iryna’s Law in October, which was named after 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who was stabbed to death on the Charlotte light rail in August.
The law restricts judges and magistrates, to a larger degree, from releasing violent and repeat offenders before trial.
“We feel prepared for Monday,” Chief Judge Roy Wiggins said. “Now when we say that, there’s probably obviously going to be some hurdles along the way that we have to adjust to as we roll into this new law.”
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden anticipates the jail, which is at a functional capacity, will see a surge of inmates and strain the jail’s staff.
“If you can find a policy that will help fill vacancies, if you find a policy that produces funding, that is what the [sheriff’s office] needs,” McFadden said.
County leaders couldn’t quantify how many more inmates the Mecklenburg County Jail could take on next year, because of new pretrial release restrictions.
Some county commissioners believe the state legislature should have provided funding to help local courts and law enforcement handle the increased workload.
“We know that a huge part of the jail population has mental health issues so this is really something we need to think about on a bipartisan basis,” Commissioner Leigh Altman said. “We want to be safe, all of us, and we need to do that by having the resources to prevent tragedy.”
Iryna’s Law provides funding for 10 additional prosecutors in the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office.
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