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Residents urge Shelby County to reject proposed jail site in New Chicago, cite oversight and community plans
Summary
Dozens of residents told the Shelby County Commission Aug. 11 that placing a new jail in New Chicago would harm a historically Black neighborhood and demanded oversight after recent in-custody deaths and blocked revitalization plans; speakers urged alternatives such as housing and mental-health services.
A stream of speakers at the Shelby County commission meeting on Aug. 11 urged commissioners not to site a proposed new jail in the New Chicago neighborhood of North Memphis, describing a history of disinvestment, a previously blocked community revitalization plan, and recent deaths in county custody that they said reflect broken oversight.
"New Chicago needs economic development and affordable housing and not a warehouse for juvenile and adult inmates," Clifford Stockton Jr. told the board, describing the proposed facility as inappropriate for a neighborhood with nearby schools.
Several speakers cited the death of Ruckus (Raquel) McDaniel and others who died while held in county custody to argue for stronger oversight of intake and court access. "The jail in the county that you are all responsible for ... People are dying," said Laremy Wheeler of Just City, pressing commissioners to hold the sheriff and courts accountable.
Community leaders described a 175-page New Chicago Community Partnership plan that, they said, had envisioned housing, a youth development center, trades training, and grocery space on the same acreage developers have targeted for the criminal-justice facility. "We had a plan to buy that 77 acres and the city blocked the sale," said Dr. Karnita Atwater, executive director of New Chicago CDC, calling a jail "a form of modern day genocide."
Commissioners did not take a final vote on siting at the meeting; the public comment occurred before land-use Item 21 (a planned-development amendment at 12635 US Highway 64) was pulled back to committee and referred for further review. Chair Whaley acknowledged the project will return to the commission and said there would be more opportunities for public input.
What’s next: Item 21 was referred to committee for Aug. 20 for additional work with the applicant; community advocates said they will continue organizing and pursuing alternative uses for the property while asking commissioners to prioritize revitalization projects and mental-health supports over a new jail.
Provenance: Topic begins at SEG 676 and continued through SEG 1136. Quotes are drawn from the public-comment record on Aug. 11.
