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Recent inmates describe ‘inhumane’ crowding, filth, physical abuse at 201 Poplar, Jail East

By , Daily Memphian Updated: December 08, 2025 4:00 AM CT | Published: December 08, 2025 4:00 AM CT

When Ross Rives was booked into the Shelby County Jail on Oct. 31, it wasn’t his first time. 

He had previously faced charges for a handful of crimes including petty theft and drug possession. 

But this time was different, he said; the jail was more crowded and guards more aggressive. 

Upon his arrival, corrections deputies took Rives, 36, booked this time for misdemeanor assault related to a road rage incident near his home, to a room and strip-searched him.

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Aarron Fleming

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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