Jennifer Clemons-Abullah, commissioner of corrections for the City of St. Louis no longer works for the city, according to officials. Her employment with the city was “separated effective immediately”, said Conner Kerrigan, a spokesperson for Mayor Tishaura Jones, in a statement. 

Clemons-Abdullah returned from a three month leave just weeks ago.

“The recent news of the Jail Commissioners departure is not surprising,” said alderman Rasheen Aldridge. “For years we have witnessed countless situations at the jail that have raised more questions than answers. I was the first Alderman to stand with Community leaders in calling for Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah’s dismissal months ago. The jail needs new leadership to address the turmoil that has caused suffering for families of loved ones at CJC, where lives have been lost or severely impacted. New leadership must ensure that the jail is no longer a place that treats inmates in humanely, especially those who have not been convicted of a crime.”

Tammy Ross is now the acting commissioner of corrections. The city has not said if Clemons-Abdullah’s absence was a medical or administrative leave, citing city codes. The details on the most recent separation are also unclear.

Her leadership of the department, which manages the city’s criminal justice center, has been under the spotlight in recent years, as the facility has seen the deaths of at least nine detainees since the fall of 2021.

She started on the job in September 2021.

Advocates for inmates have long complained about conditions at the jail. It was the site of three uprisings among inmates between late 2020 and early 2021 prior to her arrival.

This is a developing story.