07-08-2025
Woman with loved one in jail tells his story of life inside
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — City leaders are sounding the alarm about overcrowding at the Shelby County Jail, and so are people who have loved ones inside.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Sheriff Floyd Bonner say 201 Poplar is over capacity, and it's taking a toll on inmates and staff.
WREG spoke to the loved one of an inmate who says that's just the half of it.
A woman who wants to remain anonymous tells WREG that her child's father told her he was attacked by jail staff.
'They been bear macing everyone, the whole intake. They jumped on him, fractured his ribs. I have documentation on that, as well. And they been cutting the phone off on him, people getting cut, all in the pods,' she said.
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In addition to the alleged attack, she says the jail is overcrowded, with hundreds of inmates in custody.
'He said it's very crowded, they sleeping in chairs, it's real hot in there, they can't take showers, they got on their regular clothes. You know, it takes them about five days to get a process in, if that.'
In a news release, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy says inmates have to wait weeks to be assigned to a cell, which means they don't have a bed to sleep in.
Data from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office shows there were more than 2,700 male inmates at 201 Poplar in June, compared to 1,985 male inmates in June of 2021.
The jail's capacity is 2,400.
D.A. Mulroy and Sheriff Bonner say part of the reason for the overcrowding is the Tennessee Department of Corrections' delay in transferring convicted inmates.
In addition to the overcrowding, a woman tells WREG that her child's father required psychiatric treatment before he was booked in the jail; however, he has not received it in custody.
'He don't even know what he doing right now. He ain't even in his right state of mind so like, I'm really, really scared for him,' she said.
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As D.A. Mulroy and Sheriff Bonner call for changes at 201 Poplar, the woman tells WREG there should also be better treatment of inmates.
'Treat them like as if they'd want to be treated, and the community need to know that they're getting jumped on, treated like animals,' she said.
Tennessee state Senator Brent Taylor has also reacted to the overcrowding at the jail. He says 41 inmates were taken out of the jail this week and housed in other jails or state prisons.
He says he's working with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and state Senator Ed Jackson to place the remaining state inmates in their proper facilities.
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