Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner released a sharply worded public letter Thursday accusing Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris of ignoring serious problems inside the county’s jail system in Memphis.
In the six-page letter, Bonner said Harris has not engaged with his office on long-running concerns at the Jail at 201 Poplar, including overcrowding and aging infrastructure. He said state inspectors have repeatedly warned that the jail is over capacity, but the mayor has shown little interest in discussing solutions or considering a new facility.
Bonner also said Harris has given the public “misinformation” about who is responsible for operating the jail, noting that state law requires the Sheriff’s Office to run it.
The sheriff also raised concerns about the county-run Correctional Center, often called the Penal Farm, which houses lower-level felons. Bonner said his office has responded to assaults, overdoses and four inmate deaths there this year, but said the mayor’s administration has not made those incidents public.
On finances, Bonner said Harris rejected a higher reimbursement rate the state offered this summer to help cover the cost of housing state prisoners. Bonner said that decision has cost the county millions of dollars and left fewer resources to manage overcrowding.
He also said the mayor delayed signing off on a plan to ease overcrowding earlier this year and has relied on restricted Sheriff’s Office funds to cover other county expenses, contributing to budget strain.
The letter ends with Bonner criticizing Harris’ suggestion that the county look at privatizing the jail system. Bonner called that idea “reckless” and said it would make overcrowding worse, pointing to problems other Tennessee counties have faced with private jail operators.
Harris’ office has not responded to the letter.
