Criminal Justice

The Rev. Darryl Gray said he is more hopeful for reform after a recent conversation with Commissioner of Corrections Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah.

St. Louis corrections chief Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah has returned after an unexplained three-month leave, and the former head of St. Louis County’s jail is working to assess and recommend fixes to the city jail.

Nearly 100 protesters and activists disrupted a city Board of Aldermen meeting on Friday, calling for immediate changes to the St. Louis City Justice Center, where 18 people in custody have died since 2020.

City public safety officials say their reporting of jail deaths earlier this year excluded one person because that individual was arrested but not considered a detainee at the city jail.

Jail deaths at the City Justice Center in St. Louis are slightly higher than public safety officials previously shared and much higher than online reports show. But deaths at the CJC so far this year are the lowest they’ve been since 2021.

Activists have been demanding the resignation of Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah since 2023. At least 11 detainees have died at the City Justice Center since 2022, and there have been multiple protests against conditions at the facility.

Ramon Chavez-Rodriguez faces felony charges including DWI death of a law enforcement officer, exceeding the posted speed limit and operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license.

Wednesday marks one year since Illinois ended cash bail.

The juvenile justice framework intended for youth rehabilitation has caused frustration among those involved — including parents left to feel hopeless and in limbo.

It took a jury less than two hours to find bounty hunter Wayne Lozier guilty of kidnapping.