‘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.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Subscriber Only Shelby County Jail 201 PoplarThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
Did you know we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization? We rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and other earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉🏽 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉🏽 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Aarron Fleming
Once an intern, he never left, joining the staff full-time in 2022 as an education reporter. He moved to public safety in 2023, where he covered some of the city’s biggest court cases, including the criminal trials for those charged in the deaths of Tyré Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also chronicled the Shelby County Jail and the deaths that have occurred at the facility.
He now provides suburban coverage, focusing on Desoto County and the surrounding municipalities.
Public Safety on demand
Sign up to receive Public Safety stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Comments
Want to comment on our stories? If you’re a subscriber, scroll down to the comments. If you’re not a subscriber, only paid subscribers can add their thoughts, so subscribe now. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.