Guest column: Fix the problems plaguing Shelby County Jail now
Guest Columnist
Leslie Taylor
Leslie Taylor is executive director of Memphis Crime Beat, a nonprofit 501(c)3 created to reduce crime in Memphis.
“We need to do something now to protect both inmates and employees.”
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Jail door replacement will take two years, cost $6M, sheriff’s office says
The 636 doors, which operate on a sliding mechanism, have failed repeatedly throughout the last year, leading to a rise in inmate-on-inmate assaults and assaults against jail staff.
Another death at 201 Poplar brings number to at least 55 since 2019
The latest incident began Thursday when jailers found an inmate unresponsive after experiencing a “medical emergency,” according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The inmate was taken to Methodist University Hospital and died Friday afternoon.
Two more Shelby County Jail inmates have died
Two Shelby County Jail inmates died on Thursday and Friday, bringing the total to four this week.
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