ST. LOUIS—The man linked to a turnaround of the St. Louis County jail has been formally tasked to do the same for the city of St. Louis’ Criminal Justice Center, and he’s been assigned to begin work immediately to implement a series of changes.
Doug Burris had already been on the city’s payroll since December, conducting an operational review of the jail facility, which has been home to multiple detainee uprisings, an incident where a corrections officer was held hostage, and the deaths of nearly 20 detainees since 2020.
While some of the facility’s problems are structural–the city has had to replace locks on cell doors that didn’t lock properly—staffing has been a major issue pointed out in a 2024 state audit and in Burris’ report.
“The culture at the Justice Center is one of regularly being overwhelmed because of the lack ofCorrectional Officers staffing available to operate the facility safely and appropriately,” Burris wrote, noting that the problem is widespread across the country. “The need for additional officers in the St. Louis Jail is dire. While the jail has increased in detainee census significantly over the last three years, the number of Corrections Officers has decreased at alarming levels over the same time.”
The city has 74 employees classified as “Correctional Officer I” positions and a budgeted strength for 198, and 10 employees who are “Correctional Officer II” with an authorized strength of 28. Burris’ analysis says the city needs a total of at least 150 to be staffed to the point where recreational time for detainees could improve.
He’ll begin work immediately to locate a private recruiting firm to fill the ranks and the city’s personnel department will work with union representatives to create mentorship plans and incentives for current staff.
There will be requests for proposals to reduce the cost of detainee phone calls and to make sure that each detainee has a tablet available, and work will also begin on an agreement with the St. Louis Public Library to bring books into the facility. Authorities will also begin discussions on the creation of a “Rocket Docket” that would prioritize getting older cases through the legal system.
Burris succeeds Acting Commissioner Tammy Ross, who has been in the role since December, when she replaced Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah, Mayor Jones’ appointee, who had been under fire by critics, including members of the board of Aldermen. City officials have been tight lipped about Clemons-Abdullah’s departure in December, which came after she returned from a months long personal leave.