ST. LOUIS – A protest was held at St. Louis City Hall Friday, with demonstrators demanding urgent action to address what they call “deadly and inhumane” conditions at the St. Louis City Justice Center.

Those who showed up in the chambers hung signs from the balcony reading “No jail deaths” during a board of aldermen reading.

“Apologies, we cannot hang this in the chamber,” Megan Green, Board of Aldermen President, said.

This protest comes after 18 Justice Center deaths, including most recently Antonio Weber, who died earlier this month after nine days in custody.

“The continuing deaths and suffering at St. Louis City Justice Center are unacceptable. We must act now to prevent any further loss,” Executive Director of the Freedom Community Center Mike Milton said.

Alderpersons Rasheen Aldridge (Ward 14), Alisha Sonnier (Ward 7), and Shameem Clark Hubbard (Ward 10) stood in support of the advocates that are pushing for transparency and immediate improvements, including better medical care and sanitation. They’re also hoping for better communication with the Justice Center.

“It’s very vague, and that is one of things I would like us to talk about as a city. I think there’s clearly a need for us to figure out a way to be more transparent about that,” Sonnier said.

The Justice Center is now one of the deadliest jails in the country—three times deadlier than Kansas City’s jail. 

In response, the Mayor’s Office stated, “Mayor Jones agrees that incarceration should not be a death sentence. Many of these demands have already been met and are currently in action. Healthcare continues to improve at the CJC, and 2024 has seen the fewest deaths in the jail since 2021.”

The mayor’s deputy communications director stated the city’s public safety director was unavailable for comment on the issue. 

The mayor provided detailed responses to each demand, emphasizing ongoing efforts to improve jail conditions and detainee healthcare.

Below is the statement released, in part:

“In December 2023, the St. Louis City Department of Health began monitoring the provider of medical services at the CJC related to alignment with NCCHC standards. Since then, we have seen a notable decrease in deaths and improvements across many aspects of healthcare.

As well, Mayor Jones’ administration contracted with a new medical vendor, Physician Correctional USA, in December 2023, to provide medical care at the facility. An additional $2 million in funding and multiple new positions have allowed the Department of Health to monitor the new provider’s performance against NCCHC standards.

We have had staffing issues at the commissioner level for this unit; however, the Mayor’s Office continues to strengthen our collaboration with the DFOB. Mayor Jones signed Executive Order 79 on March 23, 2024, mandating certain actions by the DFOB and the Oversight Division. 

Supported release is under the jurisdiction of the Circuit Attorney, not the Mayor’s Office. The Mayor meets regularly with the Circuit Attorney’s Office, and their discussions do include updates on the jail population.”