SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — The COVID-19 class action lawsuit against the Shelby County Sheriff’s office was dismissed without prejudice, the sheriff’s office announced.
The ACLU, which filed the lawsuit against the sheriff’s office last year, said the case was dismissed after the county agreed to a settlement April 9. As part of the settlement a jail inspector made a list of recommendations that included reducing the jail population by 50 percent, creating a vaccine education program for inmates, taking economic ability into account when assessing bond, and making the necessary changes regarding staffing issues.
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The lawsuit stems from the pandemic. Detainees at the Jail along with their representation said SCSO failed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Now, the lawsuit has been dismissed.
SCSO said they will offer and administer the COVID-19 vaccine to detainees. This is set to happen on April 15, on Thursday with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to every detainee in the jail who has requested it.
Additionally, the SCSO said detainees will receive educational materials on the vaccine. Additionally moving forward, all detainees will be asked at booking if they would like to be vaccinated.