201 Poplar more crowded since Memphis Safe Task Force
It’s unclear how the additional Memphis Safe Task Force arrests have affected booking and processing time at the jail, something the facility has also struggled with historically. (Courtesy Shelby County Sheriff’s Office)
Law enforcement officers and federal agents have made hundreds of arrests in the city since the launch of the Memphis Safe Task Force at the tail end of last month.
But those arrests have also caused an increase in the number of inmates at the Shelby County Jail, also known as 201 Poplar, exacerbating long-standing overcrowding issues at the facility.
Documents obtained by The Daily Memphian show that on Oct. 1, the jail population was 2,643 at its lowest count that day. As of Thursday afternoon, Oct. 16, there were 2,911 people booked into the jail, according to a spokesperson for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, representing an increase of about 10%. The jail’s population fluctuates throughout the day.
In September, the average daily population was 2,804, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The jail’s stated capacity is 2,400 inmates.
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Aarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming covers public safety for The Daily Memphian, focusing on crime and the local court system. He earned his bachelor’s in journalism and strategic media from the University of Memphis.
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