NC Jail Takeover Resolved
Bertie-Martin Jail Takeover Ends Peacefully After Hostage Situation; Guards, Inmates Released Safely
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Inmates seized control of the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor, North Carolina early Sunday morning, taking two guards hostage before a tense, multi-agency standoff ended peacefully KTAR. The takeover began at around 5 a.m., when inmates overpowered three on-duty correctional officers — two were captured and one escaped. By late morning, both hostages were released safely and 18 inmates had been moved out of the facility MyNorthwest.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that nearly 20 agencies, including the FBI, responded to the scene Tri-City Record. Authorities stressed there was no immediate threat to the surrounding public. The incident has renewed urgent calls to fix a deep staffing crisis inside North Carolina's jails and prisons.
Three Guards, 88 Inmates, and a Dangerous Ratio
At the time of the takeover, only three guards were on duty for 88 inmates — a ratio of 1 guard for every 29 inmates MyNorthwest. Safety experts consider that ratio far beyond acceptable limits for a secure detention facility. One guard broke free and raised the alarm. The other two were held captive inside the jail for several hours.
A large law enforcement perimeter was set up by 8 a.m. Negotiators worked to de-escalate the situation. By 9:30 a.m., both hostage guards were released unharmed SWOKNEWS. A second group of inmates was also moved out of the facility shortly after. Authorities said all staff were accounted for and safe by midday.
Staffing Crisis Years in the Making Finally Explodes
North Carolina's correctional system has been in crisis for years. The state currently has 4,703 vacant guard positions out of a target of 9,682 — meaning nearly one in two spots is empty. In some facilities, vacancy rates reach as high as 69%. Correctional officers start at just $37,621 per year, the second-lowest starting salary in the entire country, trailing neighboring states by nearly $10,000 Yahoo News.
NC Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes had warned lawmakers directly: "If we do not address these issues immediately, something bad will happen." That warning went unheeded. Ardis Watkins of the State Employees Association of North Carolina noted that conditions once considered a worst-case scenario are now "the average way prisons are staffed" in 2026 SWOKNEWS.
Budget Deadlock Left Guards Exposed and Underpaid
Governor Josh Stein has repeatedly flagged the problem. North Carolina ranks 49th in the nation for correctional officer starting pay. But a budget stalemate between Stein and the GOP-led General Assembly has kept salaries stagnant. The legislature has not passed a new budget for the fiscal year, leaving the corrections system without new funding KTAR.
The cost of Sunday's response alone — nearly 20 agencies, FBI tactical teams, and hours of overtime — is expected to run into several hundred thousand dollars. Analysts say the incident is likely to force an emergency session of the General Assembly to address a $1.4 billion maintenance backlog and a 24% annual staff turnover rate across the state's facilities Tri-City Record.
Officials Call It Contained; Advocates Call It Inevitable
Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin said his "top priority" was the safety of staff, inmates, and the community. Martin County Sheriff Drew Robinson's office was first to assure the public that the incident was "contained" within the jail walls. Local officials framed the resolution as a win for multi-agency coordination and negotiation MyNorthwest.
Advocacy groups pushed back sharply on that framing. They point to the 2017 attack at Pasquotank Correctional Institution — where four staff members were killed — as proof that NC had already learned this lesson and failed to act. Sunday's takeover, they argue, was not a surprise. It was the predictable result of poverty wages, skeleton staffing, and years of legislative inaction SWOKNEWS.
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