MacArthur Foundation

The public defender in St. Louis County used funding from the MacArthur Foundation to pay for two attorneys who handle nothing but initial appearances in nonviolent felony cases.

Did pandemic policies that reduced jail populations lead to an increase in violent crime? Two new reports say “no.”

The $300,000 grant will fund a team of researchers who will talk to corrections officers and jail residents to understand how racism and racial inequalities play out in the jail.

The centers give people a space to address outstanding warrants and other legal matters without risking arrest.

Bookings at the St. Louis County jail dropped by 47% between February and October during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance. St. Louis County’s average daily jail population also decreased by an average of 30% from 2016 to 2019.