ST. LOUIS — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) demands answers regarding concerns of reportedly inadequate medical care, improper use of force and a lack of basic needs at the City Justice Center (CJC) in downtown St. Louis.
In a four-page letter to the St. Louis Commissioner of Corrections Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah, Bush said her demands come after a detainee, 44-year-old Juwon Carter, died over the weekend after a medical emergency.
Bush visited the facility on Sept. 8. She said in the letter that she was deeply troubled by the apparent issues during her visit.
"These grave concerns have only been amplified in light of the most recent death of a CJC detainee over the weekend, marking the third death within ten weeks, and tenth overall in the last two years," the letter read.
The concerns Rep. Bush laid out include the following:
- Delivery of timely and adequate medical care.
- Equal access to basic needs and services.
- Use of solitary confinement.
- Use of force.
- Physical safety of correctional staff and people in custody.
St. Louis responds
On Thursday, the City of St. Louis said at the request of Mayor Jones, the City’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment approved a $2 million dollar allocation to establish a new Chief Medical Officer position within the City Justice Center, as well as 10 new support staff positions.
These positions will be housed under the City of St. Louis Department of Health and will work collaboratively with contracted providers to audit and provide oversight.
A Request for Proposals for a health care provider at the CJC opened on July 3 and will close on October 16.
Bush requested a response to her letter by Nov. 2.
Board of Aldermen
Fourteenth Ward Alderman Rasheen Aldridge said his priority is to improve the CJC, which is within his ward.
"If we don't do something in the next month, I wouldn't be surprised if there is another death. One of the concerns we've heard is medicine and healthcare, that they aren't getting healthcare on time. Other things we're hearing are that they aren't getting out of their pods a lot," Aldridge said.
Aldridge said he believes some of the deaths at the jail are due to the lack of effectiveness from the healthcare agency involved as well.
Bush said after speaking to numerous inmates, she heard they were not receiving their prescribed medication for diabetes, seizures, mental health disorders and other chronic conditions.
One of the recent inmates who died in August 2023 was 32-year-old Carlton Bernard. An autopsy found he died of diabetes, complicated by Ketoacidosis and Hyponatremic Dehydration.
Corizon, the jail's healthcare provider since 2014, was once the nation's largest prison healthcare provider. But, the city terminated that contract and filed a lawsuit against the agency. In addition, Corizon filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and just last month, it reached a tentative bankruptcy deal.
In her letter, Bush pointed out her own personal experience with Corizon.
"In my experience as a healthcare provider, Corizon has never operated as an effective or responsible steward of the health and wellness of people in carceral settings," she said.
In November 2022, the company YesCare took over Corizon's contract to assume all responsibilities. Besides the healthcare provider troubles, there have been problems inside the facility that have brewed for years.
Two riots broke out in 2021 and 2023. Elad Gross, an attorney representing three inmates formerly detained at CJC after one of the riots, said his clients were assaulted.
"Two of them were assaulted for hours before intervention and were substantially injured," Gross claimed.
Gross, who is running for Missouri attorney general, said things don't seem to have improved.
"It sure seems the conditions aren't getting much better if they are at all. We just had a few deaths there in the last few months," he said.
Gross said he believes the largest concern is safety and the need to hire.
"Poor staffing levels continue to this day. Number one, they have to staff the facility," he added.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones echoed that same idea of more hires at the CJC in a Wednesday news conference. She said the city is trying to increase salaries to make the job of a correctional officer more attractive.
"We are hiring and you don’t have to live in the city," she said.
Following the death of detainee Juwon Carter, Jones released this full statement:
"Last weekend, I was upset to learn of the passing of Juwon Carter, a detainee at the City Justice Center. I want our communities to know: I hear your concerns regarding recent medical emergencies at the CJC. Public health and public safety are intrinsically connected, and we must ensure that our services are responsive to the underlying needs of those in the City’s care. Providing responsive health care at the Justice Center is a top priority. While the City continues the search for a new healthcare provider for the CJC, I am calling for the creation of new positions in the City of St. Louis Department of Health, including a Chief Medical Officer, specifically to oversee medical operations and services at the jail. Creating the Chief Medical Officer position builds off my previous work at the Justice Center to reassess the services the facility provides and improve them. In 2021, the City commissioned a review of the facility and identified areas for improvement. In June of this year, the City sued our provider and we currently have a request for proposals for a new healthcare provider for the facility. In September, we delved into deeper policy review and assessment of medical oversight. Last but not least, we are in conversation with the State and other partners to quickly address issues with detainees who are deemed incompetent to stand trial, and we are working to get more mental health care providers in the facility."
In September, Board of Aldermen President Megan Green said there needed to be an immediate change in leadership following the deaths. However, as of Wednesday, Jones remained by the ail commissioner's side.
"The changes at the city jail are happening under the leadership of Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah who I still have confidence in. We have spent $20 million fixing the locks and updating services in the city jail but these kinds of changes don’t happen overnight. These problems have been going on for decades. We can't expect for it to change under one person in under two years," Jones added.
While problems have plagued CJC for years, Aldridge demands immediate action before it's too late.
"I think it's urgent need to act soon, act now," he said.
Aldridge has presented Board Bill 93 recently and before he was elected, a Detention Facility Oversight Board (DFOB) was created to oversee conditions inside the CJC.
Board Chair Janis Mensah said the group was blocked from doing its job this summer and called on the jail commissioner to step down.
Aldridge said the DFOB is being hindered and he currently wants to clear up possibly vague language.
"The ordinance is not clear on how many hours of training they have to do to gain access in the jails," Aldridge said.
It could take another month for the bill to go through several committees if it even passes.
As for the healthcare provider, Aldridge said it will have to go through an RFP process. A request for proposal (RFP) is a business document that announces a project, describes it, and solicits bids from qualified contractors to complete it. While it could take time, Aldridge said he believes an immediate fix is to pick a healthcare provider as quickly as possible.