Rising deaths at St. Louis city jail spark concern
- Advocates and officials are investigating why an increasing number of people have died inside the St. Louis city jail. - The pattern raises urgent questions about medical care, supervision, and conditions within the jail facility. - Community leaders are calling for reforms and independent oversight; full reporting at (patch.com).
At least 22 people have died in custody at the St. Louis City Justice Center since 2020, and the St. Louis NAACP is pressing for criminal, federal civil-rights, and medical-regulator investigations. (stlpr.org) The NAACP delivered its requests on April 14 to Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, saying deaths and emergency care at the jail need outside review. (ksdk.com) NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt said the group interviewed about 15 people, including medical officials, who said detainees were often sent to hospitals without records such as diagnoses, medication lists, allergies, or last-dose information. (stlpr.org; ksdk.com) The latest death was Dametria McDile, 32, who was found unresponsive in her cell on January 31 and pronounced dead at a hospital that evening, according to police. Her family said she had complained of chest pain and had previously told relatives she was not getting help. (stlpr.org) The jail’s death count has climbed quickly in recent years. St. Louis Public Radio reported three people died there in 2025, and McDile’s death brought the total to at least 22 since 2020. (stlpr.org; stlpr.org) The scrutiny reaches beyond the recent spike. Public records cited by The Marshall Project and KSDK show 45 people died in custody at the City Justice Center from its 2002 opening through February 2025, including 29 pronounced dead after transport to hospitals. (ksdk.com) Conditions inside the jail have been under review for months. A city operational review released January 27, 2025, flagged problems across security, health care, and daily operations. (stlouis-mo.gov; themarshallproject.org) That review landed after years of instability at the jail, including riots, a hostage-taking of a correctional officer, the closure of the city’s second jail, and staffing losses that pushed more detainees into one troubled facility. (ksdk.com) The Department of Public Safety said it is reviewing the NAACP’s concerns and remains committed to detainee care and safety. Gore’s office said police investigated each death and that prosecutors will decide whether the NAACP’s letter justifies a separate investigation. (ksdk.com; stlpr.org) For now, the central dispute is no longer whether deaths occurred, but whether the city’s jail, hospital-transfer process, and internal oversight failed people who were still awaiting trial or serving short local sentences. (stlpr.org; ksdk.com)
