TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jul 25, 2025

More than 350 detainees are being held in the intake room of the Shelby County Jail, far exceeding the space and seating available, the Commercial Appeal reports. The number was cited in a spreadsheet shared within the Shelby County criminal justice system and provided to the newspaper by the bail reform nonprofit Just City. As of July 23, the spreadsheet listed a total of 2,908 inmates at the jail, including those in the intake area but excluding those held outside 201 Poplar, such as at the Shelby County Division of Corrections and the Youth Justice and Education Center. The jail’s certified capacity is 2,400 inmates, Chief Deputy Sheriff Anthony Buckner previously told the news outlet. However, he said the facility can accommodate an additional 400 inmates using “uncertified beds.” For months, according to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) jail report card, the inmate population has fluctuated between 2,500 and 2,800. SCSO added that the Memphis Police Department is “booking more people into the jail and many are charged with violent felonies.” The office also pointed to the closing of a criminal court division as a reason for slower case resolution.