Two female detainees at Shelby County Jail East have filed a federal lawsuit claiming they were sexually assaulted by a male inmate after men were moved into the women’s facility due to overcrowding. The lawsuit alleges that a malfunctioning cell door was deliberately opened by a male guard, allowing the male inmate to enter other cells while a female guard was present. The women say the inmate wore a mask during the assaults and that the incidents were not reported by jail staff, according to WREG.
As per Action News 5, the lawsuit names multiple defendants, including Shelby County Government, Sheriff Floyd Bonner, and other jail staff. Overcrowding remains an issue, with men still being housed at Jail East, a facility near Shelby Farms Park normally designated for women. The plaintiffs claim their Eighth Amendment rights were violated due to a failure to protect them from harm and are seeking compensatory damages through a jury trial.
Jail East is managing issues related to overcrowding, increasing inmate numbers, and infrastructure. According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the facility is operating near its capacity. The lawsuits and personal accounts describe the experiences of individual inmates and raise concerns about operational challenges at the facility.
