TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 12, 2025

Two female inmates at the Shelby County women’s jail say they were assaulted by a male inmate who was being housed with them last year due to overcrowding at the men’s jail. The federal lawsuit, filed Nov. 10, alleges the male inmate gained access to the women’s cells through a broken door. It also claims that a staff member opened the door, another staff member witnessed the assault but did not intervene or alert others, and that staff failed to report the incident or follow up afterward. The suit names the Shelby County government, Sheriff Floyd Bonner and several jail staffers. The women are seeking a jury trial and an unspecified amount in damages, according to the Daily Memphian,