More Results

Strategies including the launch of the Initial Appearance Program have proved successful. Between April 2019 and early 2021, over 900 individuals have been supported with legal representation. Before the program, 53% of individuals were held on no bond or a cash-only bond at initial appearance. When people came to the initial appearance with legal representation, 78% of individuals had a reduction in bond or negotiated a release on recognizance, without paying bail.

As a result of the expedited probation program, the average length of stay for individuals decreased from 99 days to just 12 days during the period of 2017 to 2019. Because of the success of the program, the Missouri Probation and Parole department now fully funds the program and has hired staff to work at the county jail to fully institutionalize it.

Each of the county’s strategies is meant to decrease the disproportionate burden that people of color face in the criminal justice system. St. Louis County is also advised by the Ethnic and Racial Disparities committee, made up of criminal justice stakeholders, representatives from community advocacy groups, and individuals with lived experiences. As a result, the county is also seeing a sustained decline in racial and ethnic inequities in its justice system. As of Fall 2020, the population of Black people detained in jail has declined 37% during the Safety and Justice Challenge grant period, compared with 31% among white people. Length of stay has also declined, with Black individuals experiencing a 44% decline in the length of stay compared with 41% for white individuals.

The Population Review Team (PRT) has been meeting regularly since June 2018 to identify people who do not need to be in jail and can be safely released pretrial. As a result of the work of the PRT, there has since been a substantial decline in the Average Daily Population of people in the jail. Overall, the PRT has become a laboratory for innovation with committed stakeholders at the table who are committed to advancing the goals of SJC and beyond.

The newest St. Louis County initiative, the Tap In Center, has proved especially popular. For example, one individual visited the Tap In Center in January 2021 to get a public defender and a new court date. She said, “I am just very pleased with this program, I’ve felt stuck all my life with these warrants. To know that this program is available to help people, it’s a real reliever! Now that I don’t have a warrant I am about to be getting a job thanks to the Tap In Center!”

Remaining Challenges

St. Louis County is focused on addressing its remaining challenges in its local justice system.

While progress has been made in reducing racial and ethnic disparities, there is still work to be done in advancing equity in St. Louis County’s jails. The county will continue to work with the local community to develop initiatives that are responsive to the need for reform and assess any possible negative outcomes that could happen as a result.

St. Louis County has also developed a comprehensive plan for additional strategies and initiatives to invest in a safer, more effective, and more equitable system. The county will work with community service providers to expand access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, expand warrant resolution efforts, and continue to build the technological infrastructure and data capacity needed to sustain this work.

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on local justice systems and continues to uniquely affect those incarcerated in local jails. The foundation of collaborative, data-driven strategies, including the necessary structures and collaboration from local stakeholders that are in place to support these strategies, has set the county up well to respond to the pandemic swiftly and effectively.