Most Memphians who read the news will have seen many articles about the crumbling infrastructure of the Shelby County Jail—often referred to by its nickname, “201 Poplar.” In the last year alone, the County Commission has had to allocate more than $1 million to replace 92 cell doors; the air conditioning system failed, causing the internal temperature of the jail to reach 92 degrees and leading to five staff and 14 residents being treated for heat-related illnesses; and multiple county commissioners have publicly raised their concerns about maintenance issues at the jail and courts.
These are life-threatening issues that need to be addressed, not only to comply with the State of Tennessee’s Minimum Standards for Local Correctional Facilities, but to protect the health and safety of employees and those housed in the jail, who are frequently dying. Community members, stakeholders, and county commissioners alike have given numerous impassioned comments at public meetings regarding these issues over the years.
But one issue you may not have heard of concerns the provider contracted by the county to supply medical services to those awaiting trial at 201 Poplar. Wellpath, a Nashville-based correctional facility medical provider, has held a contract with Shelby County to provide services at 201 Poplar since at least 2013 (and possibly even longer under their previous name, Correct Care Solutions).
Since 2018, 68 people have died in custody in the Shelby County jail, surpassing the infamous Rikers Island in the percentage of inmates who died in custody. These were pre-trial detainees, some of whom were at 201 Poplar for misdemeanor offenses or mental health crises. Many died as a result of pre-existing conditions that were likely exacerbated by the conditions of the jail or, as some families’ lawsuits allege, abuse and/or neglect by jail staff and the medical provider.
When Wellpath’s contract renewal was before the County Commission in 2023, there had been a bid for the contract by another provider, Mediko, which earned a higher evaluation score by the bid selection committee. Due to Mediko’s bid totaling $8 million more than Wellpath’s (largely because Mediko’s bid included more staff to meet the needs of the jail population), Wellpath was recommended to the County Commission by the County Administration for a contract renewal. This was despite a plethora of controversy surrounding Wellpath nationwide, including at least 70 lawsuits and the company’s founder pleading guilty to federal bribery charges in 2022. According to county rules, the Purchasing Office is not permitted to provide details of the bidding process to the County Commission, so commissioners were largely unaware of the availability of an alternative provider. Sheriff Bonner has also pointed the finger at the mayor’s administration for choosing Wellpath over a more qualified provider.
Once again, the contract is up for renewal, and a new bidding process has opened and closed. And once again, the County Commission is not being informed about the details of the submitted bids. The only information they will receive is the chosen vendor, whereupon they will be asked to allocate funding to secure medical services at 201 Poplar by the vendor of the County Administration’s choosing. There is no requirement that the Purchasing Office choose the vendor that scores the highest in the bid evaluation process. If history is any indicator, the winning bidder will likely be the cheapest one. But how much of that $8 million in savings that the county secured by choosing the lowest bidder was wiped out by emergency medical care costs and closed-door wrongful death lawsuit settlements? Did the budget work out in the end?
