Shelby County corrections officials describe stepped‑down restrictive‑housing program, stress programming and oversight

Shelby County corrections and policy staff told the commission’s committee that the county has adopted a tiered behavioral review process to reduce the use of restrictive housing and provide rehabilitative programming.

A presenter described national standards (the Mandela Rules) and the county’s goal to limit continuous restrictive confinement. The county’s Behavioral Compliance Review Board — made up of mental‑health professionals, counselors, corrections staff and administrators — reviews housing decisions and meets with residents weekly to tailor programming. "The most anyone can be in a confined state... is out of cell 2 hours a day at the highest level," one corrections official said; county leadership said most residents placed in confinement are in a lower tier that gets at least four hours out‑of‑cell per day along with structured programming and tablets for education and virtual visitation.

Commissioners asked for follow‑up reporting, especially after recent media coverage that conflated earlier practices under different management with present conditions. County officials said juvenile solitary confinement was ended immediately after the county assumed administration of the youth facility and that the corrections team has been working to correct structural issues and expand programming.