‘Everyone’s problem:’ 201 Poplar intake takes 3 days in ‘disgusting’ conditions
The average booking and process time at 201 Poplar is three days. (Courtesy Shelby County Sheriff’s Office file)
It takes an average of three days to be booked and processed into the Shelby County Jail, new data shows.
A routine process that attorneys say should normally take a few hours continues to take days, leaving would-be inmates in limbo and forcing them to live in poor conditions.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports in its June 2025 Jail Report Card that booking and processing at the Downtown jail, also known as 201 Poplar, took an average of 72 hours last month. That’s a 67% increase from the 43 hours it took in May and a 100% increase from the average 36 hours it took in June 2024.
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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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