ST. LOUIS — The city’s jail chief returned to work Monday after nearly three months on leave, a spokesman said, ending some of the uncertainty about leadership at the troubled facility.
Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah left the jail in late September, and officials would not say why or when she’d be back, citing personnel privacy rules.
On Tuesday, though, city spokesman Conner Kerrigan confirmed it was not a vacation.
Clemons-Abdullah’s absence came at a rough time for a facility that has been in near-constant crisis in recent years.
Since Clemons-Abdullah was appointed by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones in 2021, the City Justice Center has faced riots, hostage situations and more than a dozen detainee deaths. Inmates and their family members have complained about inadequate health care services. Lawyers say they’ve struggled to get access to their clients.
People are also reading…
Meanwhile, Clemons-Abdullah has pointed to a shortage of correctional officers to explain why the facility is taxed. The city has been offering $3,500 bonuses to entice new hires, and got a new health care contractor in response to concerns about care.
Reporter Austin Huguelet contributed to this report.
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen Public Safety Committee called Dan Isom, the director of public safety, and Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah, the commissioner of corrections, to testify after a man who allegedly abused a woman was released from the jail after testing positive for COVID-19.
