It’s time to meet the new boss, same as the old boss at the troubled St. Louis City Justice Center. Corrections Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah is back at her post as of Monday, City Hall spokesman Conner Kerrigan confirmed. Kerrigan was unable to give additional detail about the return, saying it was a personnel issue.
An appointee of Mayor Tishaura Jones, Clemons-Abdullah’s tenure saw a rash of detainee deaths and other alarming events, including a guard being taken hostage. She abruptly went on leave in September, a for sale sign popped up in her front lawn, and city officials remained mum on her status, making for what seemed like an unusual exit. Now, Clemons-Abdullah appears to have made an unusual return.
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The news has not been particularly well-received among those with frequent dealings with the facility. “The fact that she’s been gone from her post for around 90 days and has not been missed demonstrates what she brings to the Department of Corrections,” says defense attorney Terry Niehoff.
“We are disappointed to hear that Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah has returned knowing so many people died and suffered under her watch,” says Mike Milton, executive director of Freedom Community Center and one of the organizers of a large protest that took place two weeks ago at City Hall over conditions at the jail.
The same day that Clemons-Abdullah returned to the job, Jones issued a letter in response to that protest and the accompanying letter signed by two dozen activist organizations expressing alarm over the spate of deaths at the jail. Jones wrote, “We are in complete agreement that jail should not be a death sentence.” The mayor went on to highlight what she described as her administration’s progress in fixing conditions at the jail, including bringing in a new medical provider, hiring a new director of civilian oversight, boosting guard pay, and improving detainee meals.
However, activists have been most vocal about their desire to see Clemons-Abdullah go—and until yesterday it seemed as though they were getting their wish. Says Milton: “We hoped that her leave was a step in a direction of new leadership, which is desperately needed in the St. Louis City Justice Center.”
Some help may be on the way. Former St. Louis County Justice Services Director Doug Burris is contracting with the city to conduct an assessment of the jail and identify areas where improvement is needed, Kerrigan says. Burris is widely seen as having restored order and improving detainee conditions at the St. Louis County Jail during his tenure as its head.
