SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — The loss of a loved one is hard and missing the last chance to say goodbye makes grief more complicated.

Being locked behind barbed wire and cinder brick walls at 201 Poplar makes it even harder.

“Mom, sister, brother, child. Any of those immediate family members that pass away and knowing that you cannot be there,” said Mark Berryhill, the volunteer coordinator and chaplain supervisor for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

But he said seeing your family during that time is crucial.

There are more than 2,500 hundred inmates at 201 Poplar. A majority are waiting on their day in court.

In the past, when an inmate had an immediate family member die, they would have to get administrative approval to attend the funeral. Few were approved. Restrictions were tight.

“When they weren’t able to go, a lot of times they would have to see mental health and talk to them. Sometimes they would have to put them in observation,” Berryhill said.

When COVID hit, restrictions got even tighter. Contact was limited as hospitalizations and deaths spiked. Programs at the jail came to a halt, and a system slow to embrace technology and new practices had to get innovative.

Berryhill said they started using video chat to allow inmates who lost an immediate family member tune into the service.

He said says after verifying the death and relationship, his team would find out when the wake was and when the inmate could hop on the call. The inmate is then taken to area where they still could be monitored but had a safe space to grieve.

Research shows not having the time to mourn can impact daily functions, result in pent-up emotions and cause anger and guilt.

Berryhill said this new option helped inmates mentally, provided an emotional release and prevented violent behavior. That’s why even after the pandemic, they’re still doing it.

“I really want to thank you,” one mother said in a voicemail she left for SCSO. “The jail is already overcrowded, short staffed. I wanted you to know from the bottom of my heart. I want to thank you.”

She shared it with us after her son was able to virtually attend a portion of his family member’s service. She said it helped her son and her family heal.

Berryhill said the program doesn’t cost them anything. It just takes a coordinated effort with his team, the chaplains and the officers.

He said sometimes they will coordinate up to several video calls a week, and have pulled off multiple inmates on one call. It took three chaplains to do it.

“We got three different facilities. We had relatives at each one of those that were incarcerated,” he said. “They needed it. The brother had got shot and killed. They were able to come together. The mom, the brother, the sister and all of them. Together. It really helped them.”

Berryhill said it’s also helped them build relationships. The latest data from the sheriff’s office shows an increase in worship sessions at 201 last year, and nearly 17,000 inmates were worship participants. That’s a 50% percent increase compared to 2023.

It’s no secret 201 Poplar is facing challenges from broken cell doors, leaks, pests, contraband and rising violence. A long term solution is needed.

Berryhill says there’s only so much he can do and understands the people locked inside here may have committed terrible crimes. He says as a man of faith though, he can’t cast them aside.

“This is a more humane a way of doing it. Where they can see their family and be part of something they need to be part of,” he said.