Memphis has been grappling with more than just legal battles this week as soaring temperatures and broken A/C units introduce a new type of discomfort within the confines of the Shelby County justice system. Action News 5 reported that the Shelby County Jail and Walter Bailey Criminal Justice Center have been hit with a series of power outages and water leaks, leading to the absence of air conditioning. Additional woes included a brief power outage on Tuesday due to a circuit issue at a substation affecting downtown Memphis areas, which was since resolved by MLGW.
Frustration is compounded as the spell of heat continues, with no relief. The District Attorney's office, county criminal court, and general session court clerk's offices were forced to close their doors Tuesday, leaving the inside of the justice center sweltering. Fans and water distribution have been the stopgap measures while mothers and grandmothers worry about the conditions of their incarcerated loved ones. "He just says it's unbearable, it's too hot," relayed Quintressa Williams concerning the safety and well-being of those detained, as reported by Action News 5.
The Sheriff's Office acknowledged the need for a new jail last month, citing expensive maintenance costs on the aging facility, a staggering $14 million spent in repairs alone. Sheriff Floyd Bonner was quoted discussing the difficulty of maintaining a building in continuous operation for 40 years. Amidst the closures, 201 Poplar found itself without air conditioning since Monday, resulting in multiple offices electing to shutter early, including the Shelby County District Attorney's Office and others within the complex.
In the hopes of temporarily alleviating the heat, a county spokesperson explained that crews had been allegedly working nonstop to repair two chillers, with one chiller expected to be operational yesterday. They have been trying to pump external air into the buildings to maintain some semblance of cool. "All efforts are being made to pump cool, external air into the building," the spokesperson stated, as Local Memphis reported.
