ST. LOUIS — A member of the city’s civilian jail oversight board was arrested in the lobby of the facility Thursday night as they sought answers about the recent deaths of two inmates.
By Friday afternoon, city aldermen were calling for the removal of Jail Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah and pledging to make necessary legal changes to ensure the Detention Facilities Oversight Board members have the access to the jail, video and records they need to investigate complaints of wrongdoing and mistreatment.
Board vice chair Janis Mensah, 24, was charged with trespassing and resisting arrest. Mensah has a summons to appear in court in October, and said they were injured in the arrest.
“How can I be trespassing if its my job to be there?†Mensah told the Post-Dispatch. “Is this what it looks like when an oversight board tries to do its job?â€
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Mensah’s arrest came amid a series of issues at the jail. On Aug. 22, inmates took a guard hostage for several hours. The 73-year-old guard was eventually removed from the jail by the police SWAT team, and city officials said he was treated for minor injuries.
That same week, the city’s chief public defender, Matthew Mahaffey, said several inmates told their lawyers they hadn’t had full meals or showers in the days since the hostage situation, though these have been longstanding complaints.
“Nine deaths in two years — two within two weeks — is appalling,†said Board of Aldermen President Megan Green on Friday. “This level of neglect and misconduct requires an immediate change in leadership at the City Justice Center (CJC) and greater oversight of our correctional facilities.â€
Members of the Board of Aldermen’s Public Safety Committee also released a statement Friday saying they could not “stand by in silence.†They implored Clemons-Abdullah and City Counselor Sheena Hamilton to be transparent about “living conditions, practices and policy changes†at the jail.
“Anything less than these reasonable and humane action steps is unacceptable,†the committee said. “The horrific events of the last few weeks under the importance of oversight and transparency.â€
“While none of us expected CJC to be a luxurious place, it should not be a death sentence.â€
Carlton Bernard died on Aug. 20. Police confirmed another person died Thursday, but have not released any other information.
Mensah said they went to the jail around 5 p.m. Thursday to seek answers about the deaths, as well as video footage from inside the jail.
Officials at the front desk refused Mensah’s request, so they decided to sit in the lobby. Meanwhile, protestors gathered outside the jail.
By about 8:30 p.m., Mensah said, they were sitting alone in the lobby when officers arrived, pulled them out of a chair and wrestled them to the ground.
Mensah says they don’t know exactly what happened afterward, but they woke up in a hospital and underwent a routine physical before being discharged. Mensah said they have had seizures and fainted before. They also said they were not read their Miranda rights during the arrest, their wrists bled from being handcuffed and their shoulder hurt from being pushed.
City officials maintain that Mensah’s arrest was by the book. Monte Chambers, spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety, which oversees both the jail and police department, said “Officers followed all processes and procedures for an individual trespassing and resisting.â€
Until this summer, Mensah served as chair of the jail oversight board. But they said the lack of transparency made them lose faith in the city’s partnership with the board.
In April, Mensah has said, they were forcibly removed by jail staff during a scheduled visit. How that incident was handled is one reason board members want the jail commissioner, Clemons-Abdullah, fired. Board members say she has blocked them from visiting the jail and refused access to use-of-force reports.
A coalition of local civil rights organizations, including Arch City Defenders and Action ºüÀêÊÓƵ, has also issued a call to fire Clemons-Abdullah.
The city’s Director of Public Safety Charles Coyle has said board members have not completed training sessions required for the oversight board.
Board members completed a 15-minute training session during their Monday meeting. All of the remaining training will be completed within the next 30 to 45 days, according to board chair Rev. Darryl Gray.
The City Justice Center, where suspects are held before trial, has long faced criticism over inmate conditions. The jail saw several inmate uprisings in 2021 for what inmates called “inhumane conditions†at the facility.
Rasheen Aldridge, vice chair of the Board of Aldermen’s Public Safety committee, said Mensah’s arrest was an overreach. He and Green said they are working to draft legislation to eliminate obstacles for board members on jail reports and access to the facility.
“Action needs to happen,†Aldridge said on Friday.