Shelby County’s criminal justice system is under scrutiny after a state investigation found delays in case processing, poor data transparency and a lack of coordination between courts. The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office conducted the nearly year-long review at the request of Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, focusing on how long it takes to dispose of criminal cases.
Despite being hindered by limited access to usable data, the three-person investigative team issued several recommendations to improve the county’s case disposition rate. Better access to accurate and transparent data topped the list.
The findings were presented to members of the Shelby County Commission during a Law Enforcement, Courts and Corrections Committee meeting Wednesday, April 9.
“Our key conclusion is there are significant opportunities to make data from the Shelby County justice system more transparent, accessible and usable,” said David Melendez, legislative research analyst.
The team also recommended the Tennessee General Assembly form a committee to study implementing the report’s recommendations.
Investigators encountered multiple obstacles over the course of the nearly year-long study. One of the primary challenges was the lack of consistent case numbers as cases moved from General Sessions Court to Criminal Court.
“Currently, case numbers change between court levels. It made it difficult to track felony court cases from start to finish with confidence that we were dealing with the same case data throughout,” Melendez said.
To better understand the issue, the team compared Shelby County’s case disposition rates to those in the 10 next-largest counties in Tennessee. In 2022, Shelby County disposed of 2,923 felony charges within one year of the filing date — the highest raw number in the state. Davidson County followed with 2,584 dispositions. However, Shelby County’s total represented just 33% of its felony charges, compared to 54% in Davidson County.
“We concluded that Shelby County disposes of the most felony charges within a year, but at a lower percentage of its total charges,” said Erin Brown, another legislative research analyst.
The report recommended that judges explore ways to reduce delays in courtrooms. Key causes of delays include defendants lacking legal representation or switching attorneys mid-case. These delays contribute to increased detention costs.
The poor condition of the Shelby County Jail was cited as another area of concern. So far in 2025, five inmates have died at the facility located at 201 Poplar Ave.
“We have an issue with the condition of our jail. We don’t want anyone staying there longer than they need to, because people are losing their lives,” said Commissioner Mick Wright. “We need the system to move faster, if only to save the lives of people who haven’t been convicted of anything yet.”
Investigators also found that siloed data between courts complicated efforts to analyze bail trends. As a workaround, the team relied on General Sessions Court data provided by the clerk’s office. That data showed average bail amounts increased by $10,000 from 2022 to 2024, with the current average now $33,000.
Rearrest rates were another difficult metric to assess. Conflicting definitions from data sources, including the University of Memphis and the nonprofit Justice City, hindered accurate comparisons.
“It requires some determination about definitions and what data sources you’re going to be using,” said Laura Huddleston, principal research advisor.
The team suggested looking at legislation in other states for possible solutions. One example cited was Florida’s Criminal Justice Data Transparency Initiative, passed in 2017. The law standardizes the collection and sharing of arrest and court data across jurisdictions and agencies.
“This initiative pulls together participation from numerous criminal justice stakeholders at the state and local level,” Brown said.
However, not all feedback was favorable. During the public comment period, some criticized the report for underestimating the scale of Memphis’ crime problem.
“Out of 111,000 crimes, 93,000 are not cleared. We don’t know who committed them,” said Ron Walker of the nonprofit Memphis Crime Beat. “Up to 21% of those out on bail are rearrested within 500 days. Your report, I believe, says seven.”
Memphis Crime Beat analyzes Shelby County court data and shares findings with stakeholders. Walker said even their own numbers likely underestimate the true scope of the issue.
