Shelby County is moving forward with a new medical provider for the thousands of inmates housed in the area's four county-administrated correctional facilities.
On Sept. 14, its first full meeting after newly-elected members were sworn in, the Shelby County Commission approved a new $38 million contract with Wexford Health Sources that will start Oct. 1 and go through June 30, 2027.
Wellpath, the healthcare company currently contracted to provide medical care in Shelby County's jails and corrections centers, will permanently end its operations in the county Sept. 30.
Several board members have expressed concerns about the transition, and how the county could hold Wexford accountable for inmate health and safety. County staff agreed to provide the Commission
with an initial report 30 days after the start of Wexford's work in Shelby County.
The new contract is more expensive than the previous one, but county officials said that can be attributed to changes in the healthcare model. The establishment of a new intermediate medical care unit, which would house inmates not sick enough for a hospital but not well enough to be back in general population, contributes to rising costs, Anthony Alexander, director of corrections, said.
There are still some staff vacancies that Wexford leaders are hoping to fill in the next two weeks. Shannis Stock-Jones, corporate vice president and executive operating administrator of Wexford, said there are still 30 vacancies in company positions at 201 Poplar and 10 at the county correctional center.
"We know it's a tough task ahead," Commissioner Charlie Caswell said to Wexford representatives at the board meeting.
Maintenance issues in county jails persist
The new Shelby County Board of Commissioners has inherited the burden of addressing what many argue is the county body's most pressing concern: the jail at 201 Poplar.
Construction of the county jail, where male inmates are housed, was finished in 1981, making it one of the newer Shelby County buildings, but insiders and advocates say conditions are unacceptable. The jail has had ongoing problems with air conditioning, plumbing, electronic doors and other maintenance issues.
In a recent win for the maintenance team, all escalators within the six-story building are working for the first time in eight years, The Commercial Appeal learned on Sept. 1, during a tour of the jail on Shelby County Sheriff Anthony Buckner's first day in office. The repairs cost taxpayers $1.3 million.
Maintenance staffing shortages persist within the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, and the office frequently has trouble hiring the team it needs to keep up with repairs, Jail Maintenance Supervisor Matt Robison said. During the tour, Robison said he has tried to recruit new permanent staff members in certain position for several years with no luck. He thinks the salary isn't enough for the demands of working inside of 201 Poplar.
As of Sept. 6, Robison's team had six vacant maintenance positions.
At the Sept. 14 meeting, the County Commission approved funding contracted welders to help with repairs at 201 Poplar and Jail East, the women's jail, because of the persisting staff shortages. The contracts won't cost the county more than about $117,000, but the funding will only cover 12 weeks of work from two welders.
County Clerk's office starts road to recovery
The county commission approved allocating just over $6 million to the Shelby County Clerk's Office at the meeting for "the stabilization, modernization and operational improvement" of the office.
"We found aging technology and equipment, inconsistent processes, customer service challenges and opportunities to strengthen financial and inventory controls,” LaSonya Hall, who took the office at the start of the month, told the board in a Sept. 9 committee meeting.
After the Commission approved the allocation of millions for upgrades, Hall could be seen profusely thanking the board.
The county clerk's office is also dealing with a significant backlog of unprocessed car title, registration and tag applications. Hall said she was confronted with 34 crates of paperwork that hold about 2,600 individual applications at the start of her term.
On Sept. 11, Hall announced a plan to "begin aggressively reducing the backlog" by having staff work Sept. 12 to process outstanding automobile dealer applications. Efforts will continue, per Hall.
“This is not simply about catching up,” Hall said. “It is about restoring confidence in the Shelby County Clerk's Office among residents and our business community.”
The backlog comes after the conclusion of eight years of Wanda Halbert heading the office, a time marked by persistent delays, backlogs, investigations and attempts to remove her from office.
Growing pains
Sept. 14 saw the first regular meeting of the new Shelby County Board of Commissioners, with eight new members joining five returning members. Two of the returners were voted into the commission's leadership positions.
Sitting Chairwoman Shante Avant was elected to another term as chair of the body. The chair of the County Commission serves for one year at a time, leading the body's regular meetings and directing committee assignments.
Commissioner Henri Brooks was elected as chair pro tempore, replacing former Vice Chair David Bradford, who is no longer on the Commission.
Avant and Brooks will serve in the spots until Aug. 31, 2027.
The Commission also approved the salary of Avant, which is close to $37,000 for the year. Other commissioners make about $35,000 a year.
Commission appoints new General Sessions Civil Court judge
The commission also appointed Marcy Ingram to serve as Judge for the Shelby County General Sessions Civil Court, Division 6. This court handles a variety of cases, including civil cases involving claims up to $25,000, evictions and actions to recover personal property.
The vacancy in Division 6 came when Judge Lonnie Thompson, who was previously in the position, was elected to Chancery Court in August. The General Sessions Civil Court seat will be back up for reelection in the county's August 2028 general election.
First meeting post arrest for Richardson
The meeting also marked the first after Commissioner Will Richardson was arrested on tax fraud charges.
Richardson, according to his indictment, submitted false tax returns for nearly four years. He is also accused of withholding sales tax revenue from the state for his business, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy.
He proclaimed his innocence in his first public statement on the case. Richardson did not acknowledge the ongoing legal battle during the Commission meeting.
Annie Goldman covers government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at annie.goldman@commercialappeal.com or 901-930-7431, and followed on X @AnnieSGoldman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Shelby County moves forward with new healthcare provider for jails
