Opinion: County jail COVID-19 vaccination problem can be solved without litigation
“As a new sheriff with what I felt was a clear mandate to fix the jail,” says Mark Luttrell, “my team and I developed a remediation plan for the jail that took five years and approximately $25 million to correct.” (Daily Memphian file)
Mark Luttrell
Mark Luttrell Jr. is a former two-term Shelby County sheriff (2002-2010) and former two-term Shelby County mayor (2010-2018)
Currently less than 25% of those at the jail have been vaccinated, a level far lower than the 70% achievement at the Shelby County Corrections Center.
Related stories
Judge: Staffing shortage, lax COVID vaccine program put jail population ‘in deep peril’
In an order denying the county’s request to end a consent decree to monitor pandemic conditions in the jail, federal judge Sheryl H. Lipman wrote that the county has resorted to “box checking” rather than living up to its responsibility to keep people safe inside the jail.
County’s legal bills more than $341,000 as reported COVID conditions strain 201 Poplar
The county is paying an average of $34,000 per month to a Jackson, Tennessee, law firm to represent Sheriff Floyd Bonner in a federal lawsuit.
GOP proposal to give unemployment to those who quit to avoid vaccination
Additional bill considered during special legislative session for Ford incentives.
Reading comments and joining the conversation are some of the many benefits of subscribing. Join the conversation by clicking the View Comments button below. Not a subscriber? Click here.
Our commenting policy can be viewed here.