MEMPHIS, Tenn. — WREG obtained an assessment report issued in May with needs and concerns at the Shelby County Jail.
This “needs assessment” was issued looking to resolve current ongoing issues here at 201 Poplar.
The goal is to find a way to house inmates, whether men, women, or juveniles, in one facility.
The over 170-page report shows pictures of deteriorating conditions, toilets in disrepair, window frames that should be secured, separated, ceiling tiles missing or covered with mold, excessive extension cords creating fire hazards, aging water pipes, corrosion, and more.
“It’s outdated, need to be replaced. You saw what we’re with the officers as well as detainees are going through right now,” said Sheriff Floyd Bonner in February.
It’s the same type of conditions Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner has been ringing the alarm about in recent months.
Just this past week, WREG sat down with the sheriff’s office’s new jail population management coordinator.
Retired criminal court judge Bobby Carter is working on steps to reduce overcrowding.
“If we can reduce the length of every case over in that jail just by a fraction it adds up to that total jail population on a daily basis and we can keep that down or get it down to something where it’s never going to be easy,” said Bobby Carter, Jail Management Coordinator.
The report goes into details about problems already reported from WREG like understaffing long inmate booking and release times.
From January to August of last year, the maintenance team, on average, received more than 1,000 requests a month.
The report addressed known problems in the jails, and it also offered solutions.
The first option is to expand the current jail adjacent to the existing jail and to close Jail East, which houses female inmates.
The second option is to build a new facility in the area next to the Shelby County highway department, an area near Shelby Farms.
The last option would be to build a new facility at Firestone Avenue and Morehead Street in North Memphis.
Sheriff Bonner released a statement after the report was released, saying he’s hopeful county leaders will take this report and develop a strategic plan for building a facility that better serves the county.
