ST. LOUIS—Mayor Tishaura Jones on Monday called for naming a Chief Medical Officer to oversee medical operations at the City Justice Center following the death of a detainee.
Juwon Carter, who was facing a January 2024 trial for involuntary manslaughter, suffered a medical emergency and died Saturday.
Carter’s death is the tenth over roughly the last two years at the facility. After two deaths in just a matter of weeks, St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Megan Green last month called for a change of leadership at the Justice Center and more oversight.
"These deaths are inexcusable; individuals at the CJC—who are awaiting trial and legally innocent until proven otherwise—have rights. CJC residents should have basic necessities, proper medical care and the right to due process. Awaiting trial should not be a death sentence,” Green said last month.
Jones has defended Corrections Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah, and while Green has called for new leadership at the CJC, she has more recently suggested that she wasn’t calling directly for Clemons-Abdullah’s ouster.
In a statement released Monday by the Mayor’s office, Jones said the adding new positions in the city health department, including a chief medical officer, and addressing health concerns at the facility were a top priority.
“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,” she said.
The city has sued the medical services provider for the CJC and is taking proposals for a new service provider.
The power of a civilian oversight board has been the subject of tension between the Board of Aldermen and the Mayor's office. The Jones administration believes the law establishing the oversight board doesn't give it the power to oversee daily operations but merely to investigate complaints. Oversight board members have complained of a lack of access to information and to the Justice Center building.