MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An inmate sent from Coffee County Jail was waiting a year to be picked up by the Tennessee Department of Corrections, and was found dead in the Shelby County Jail on Monday, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the SCSO, Daniel Neal, 41, was convicted of aggravated burglary and vandalism and violated his probation.
SCSO said Coffee County asked them to get Neal after he was charged with multiple administrative offenses in the Coffee County Jail, including assault/aggravated assault on staff, threatening/intimidating staff, creating a disturbance, refusing to obey staff orders, and interfering with officers’ duties.
He was listed as a member of the Aryan Nation by Coffee County.
Neal’s death was reported around 10:20 a.m. Monday at the main jail at 201 Poplar, a spokesperson for the Shelby County Sheriff’s office said Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office said it is unknown why TDOC did not take Neal into their custody, but said this is an ongoing problem, with SCSO typically holding 100 convicted prisoners for TDOC.
Earlier this year, SCSO reported four inmates had died in custody within a short period of time.
An autopsy is being performed to determine Neal’s cause of death, TBI said. The agency was asked to investigate at the request of the district attorney’s office.
His death comes amid growing problems at the jail, like overcrowding, poor living conditions, frequent maintenance issues, and increasing tensions between staff and inmates.
On Wednesday, the Shelby County Commissioners approved a $1.2 million contract to repair 10 escalators, which is something leadership says is both a safety hazard and a compliance issue when it comes to ADA accessibility.
“Currently, the escalators are inoperable and are being used as stationary stairways however the design does not conform to the standard dimensions of traditional stairs, creating safety hazards for staff, inmates, and visitors,” said Alicia Lindsey, chief administrative officer.
Work is expected to be completed by June of next year.