More Inmates Dead at Shelby County Jail - Articles

All Content

More Inmates Dead at Shelby County Jail

Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Feb 11, 2025

Four inmates at the Shelby County Jail died in a seven day span from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7. The Commercial Appeal reports that two of the deaths were from suicide and an apparent fentanyl overdose, though how the fentanyl got into the jail is unclear. The other two deaths are being investigated. According to the Daily Memphian, State Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis, and state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, have proposed a bill allowing Shelby County to ask voters if they want to raise the local-option sales tax from 2.75% to 3.75% to help fund a new jail. If the bill clears the Tennessee General Assembly, voters would still have to pass the sales tax hike through a referendum. The jail has faced much criticism over the past several years regarding conditions ranging from broken doors and inadequate living conditions in intake to lack of beds and overcrowded holding cells. Commissioners approved $10 million in emergency repairs funding in September.