The phrase "revolving door" has frequently been used by local leaders — former Mayor Jim Strickland included — to describe Shelby County's criminal justice System. For many, it suggests that individuals who are convicted of crimes and imprisoned then get released and eventually end up committing more crimes — a perpetual cycle.
"Is there really a revolving door?" asks Natalie McKinney, Executive Director of Whole Child Strategies. McKinney says that there's not enough data to support such claims, adding that the data reported on repeat offenders is not transparent. McKinney believes that often times the notion of a 'revolving door' is a ploy to "inflame people," get funds, and/or get legislation passed.
McKinney joins Tennessee Executive Director of Stand for Children, Cardell Orrin, for this week's Channel 10 Behind the Headlines with host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian Reporter Bill Dries. Guests talk about criminal justice in Memphis, including the leading reasons people commit crimes, as well as approaches to deterring individuals from breaking the law.