A recent report from the Tennessee State Comptroller studied Shelby County’s criminal justice system, highlighting long-standing transparency and data coordination issues.
On this week’s Behind the Headlines on WKNO/Channel 10, University of Memphis Public Safety Institute Executive Director Bill Gibbons and Center for Community Research and Evaluation Associate Director Jonathan Bennett join host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries to discuss the report’s findings.
The Shelby County court system handles approximately 100,000 criminal cases each year. According to Gibbons, "That's everything from driving on a revoked license or being a habitual motor vehicle offender all the way up to murder and everything in between." However, he notes that a lack of transparency, limited resources, and poor interagency coordination make it challenging to obtain precise numbers.
Part of the problem lies in how data is managed across departments. Often, data is limited or restricted within different agencies, making it very difficult to track a single case from arrest to resolution. Even basic identifiers can vary between departments, which creates gaps in the ability to follow individuals throughout the court system. Bennett explained that the reach of the problem is not just local: “This is not a Memphis problem. This is something that we see a lot of; it's common among criminal justice systems across the nation.”
To address these issues, Gibbons and Bennett advocated for a centralized data clearinghouse to compile essential case information while safeguarding sensitive records. They agreed that this step would significantly improve coordination and oversight across the justice system.
The discussion also included bail reform, a topic that continues to spark debate in Tennessee. Referencing data from 2024 that indicated an increase in initial bail amounts, Bennett attributed it to new state policies intended to enhance public safety. However, he noted that whether these changes have had any significant impact remains uncertain. “I have not seen anything that is distinguishable from statistical chance,” Bennett said.
Looking ahead, a proposed 2026 Tennessee state constitutional amendment could give judges greater discretion to deny bail in severe cases. Guests discuss the potential impact.
