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Residents, advocates describe overcrowding and poor conditions at Shelby County jail; call for accountability
Summary
Multiple public commenters told the commission about crowded intake areas, extended stays in small cells, denied medical care and alleged rights violations at the Shelby County jail. Speakers asked commissioners, the sheriff and the county attorney to investigate and hold staff accountable.
Several residents and advocates used general public comment on Oct. 27 to press the commission on conditions inside the Shelby County jail, describing overcrowding, prolonged stays in intake areas and inadequate food, bedding and medical care.
Josh Bickler, executive director of Just City, said a client was held overnight in a 9-by-5-foot cell with nine other men and described the intake lobby containing "289 people this morning." Laramie Wheeler,…
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