TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 13, 2026

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said Tuesday that the state owes the county millions for housing state inmates at the Shelby County Penal Farm, claiming the unpaid costs contributed to the county’s budget deficit, Action News 5 reports. Harris said it cost nearly $30 million last year to house inmates and that money had to be drawn from the county’s general fund. Shelby County Division of Corrections currently has 959 Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) inmates. “Shelby County taxpayers are being asked to pay a bill that is not theirs,” Harris said, adding that if the state does not pay, the county could face a tax increase. County attorneys said negotiations with the state broke down in July 2024, and the TDOC has not paid for any inmates since. The news outlet said TDOC could not be reached for comment.