UPDATE: The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office announced that 35 state inmates were transferred to state custody on Wednesday, and 95 state inmates remain at 201 Poplar.

“This transfer is a much-needed relief, but it’s a temporary fix,” said Sheriff Floyd Bonner. “The reality is, without a new jail, we’re just putting a bandage on a much larger issue. The safety of our staff, inmates, and the community depends on long-term solutions.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Thirty additional state inmates are set to be moved from the Shelby County Jail to state facilities this week, Senator Brent Taylor announced in a social media post on Monday.

Taylor made a Facebook post stating, “After further conversations, I am pleased to announce 30 more state inmates will be moved from the Shelby County Jail to state facilities this week. This is in addition to the previous 41 inmates removed last week.”

He also attached a screenshot in the post, which says Commissioner Strada is the one who wanted to relay that the 30 inmates would be moved.

“I promised to work with the state on getting these inmates removed so we could house more dangerous and routine criminals pending trial,” Taylor said.

Just last month, 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.

For example, the SCSO reported that 2,272 men were booked into the jail in June 2025, compared to 1,570 in June 2021. They said about 130 convicted inmates who should be in a state penitentiary were housed at the jail because the state hasn’t come to get them.

“Not only is the facility breaking down, with repairs to doors, plumbing, elevators, escalators,
electrical now in the multi-millions — there is simply not enough space to house the people
brought to the Jail at 201 Poplar,” the sheriff’s office said.