Jail's Population 'Soaring' as Facility Breaks Down: Sheriff's Office

Jail's population 'soaring' as facility breaks down: sheriff's office

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The county jail's population is "soaring" this year, as repair issues force the sheriff's office to close off sections of housing, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office says. The sheriff's office said bookings at 201 Poplar have reached "unprecedented" numbers as Memphis Police, U.S. Marshals Tennessee Highway Patrol and others bring more people than ever to the jail. As an example, SCSO said 2,272 men were booked into the jail in …

SCSO: Inmate pepper-sprayed at jail intake after fight breaks out

In a statement, officials say bookings at the jail are up, and more people are coming into the jail than leaving.

Shelby County Jail's intake room backlogged, almost 400 detainees stuck without housing

The sheriff's office, bail reform advocates and public defenders all had different explanations for why the overcrowding had gotten to this level.