The Permanent Record

• Episode 64: "A Glamour Slammer"

  The recent spike in deaths in the Shelby County Jail resulted in quite a bit of media coverage and a tour of the jail for local journalists. Unfortunately, Brittany Brown and Katherine Burgess from MLK50: Justice through Journalism were not invited on the tour. So we invited them to join us on the podcast! We talked about that decision by the Sheriff; we discussed the history of jail conditions in Shelby County; and we considered the families left behind when someone dies in custody.Katherine also recently wrote about the announcement by Memphis Mayor Paul Young of a task force that will address problems at the Memphis Police Department. Katherine sat down with the Mayor and retired Judge Bernice Donald, the head of that task force, and then she sat down with us.Do you like what you heard? Do you have ideas for future episodes? Give us some feedback. We'd love to hear from you at [email protected]

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• Episode 63: "It's Not the Talk of the Town"

  Criminal justice and public safety make headlines everyday in our community. The Permanent Record will take you behind the news reports and help you understand what keeps us safe and what doesn't. Listen as Just City Executive Director, Josh Spickler and the Legal Director at ACLU of TN, Stella Yarbrough, talk about the latest from Memphis and beyond.In this episode, Josh and Stella discuss the recent spike in jail deaths in the Shelby County and what we can do about one of the deadliest jails in the country. They also talk about a TN immigration bill that will ban children from public school classrooms unless they can prove their legal status. Finally, they weigh in on the effort underway at the General Assembly to remove the Shelby County District Attorney. Spoiler alert: it may not be as popular as one West Tennessee senator thinks it is.Do you like what you heard? Do you have ideas for future episodes? Give us some feedback. We'd love to hear from you at [email protected]

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• Episode 62: Crime & Public Safety in the News, Pt. 2

  We're shaking up the Permanent Record for 2025. Criminal justice policy, crime, and public safety make headlines everyday in our community. So, for the next few months we're going to shift from an interview format to one that offers news and analysis, and we're going to be recording more often.To help us out with this new style, we invited our friend Stella Yarbrough, Legal Director at ACLU of TN, to sit down with our executive director, Josh Spickler, and discuss a few news items that relate to our work.The Tennessee General Assembly is regrettably back in session, and in this week’s episode, Josh and Stella take a look at some of the legislation that could be filed in the next few months. They also discuss embattled Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis, who was reappointed in a surprise, last minute City Council vote, and how it’s possible to get a $5,000 bond for stealing $11 worth of coffee, cookies, and cigarettes from a gas station. Give us some feedback on this new format. We'd love to hear from you at [email protected]

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• Episode 61: Crime and Public Safety in the News, Pt. 1

  We're shaking up the Permanent Record for 2025. Criminal justice policy, crime, and public safety make headlines everyday in our community. So, for the next few months we're going to shift from an interview format to one that offers news and analysis, and we're going to be recording more often. To help us out with this new style, we invited our friend Stella Yarbrough, Legal Director at ACLU of TN, to sit down with our executive director, Josh Spickler, and discuss a few news items that relate to our work.In the first episode of this new version of the Permanent Record, Josh and Stella discuss the Department of Justice findings from its "pattern or practice" investigation into the Memphis Police Department; newly announced crime trends; and the retirement of Shelby County General Sessions Judge Bill Anderson.Give us some feedback on this new format. We'd love to hear from you at [email protected]

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• Episode 60: Kaitlin Beck & Lily Resha

  In the second of two episodes highlighting our Court Watch program, defense attorney Kaitlin Beck and student intern Lily Resha talk with longtime Court Watch leader, Yonée Gibson. Their discussion touches on the value of court watch from an attorney perspective, the unexpected patterns that emerge after months of observing criminal court, and how one watcher ended up becoming a witness. Just City's Court Watch program enlists community members to observe Shelby County's criminal courtrooms and empowers them to record what they see and hear. These volunteer watchers bring much-needed transparency and accountability to a criminal court system that is often more opaque and obscure than it should be.Learn more about Just City Court Watch and sign up to participate at www.justcity.org/courtwatch

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