ST. LOUIS (AP) — Hundreds of inmates facing federal charges have been transferred from the St. Louis area to jails in Indiana and Kentucky, leaving relatives desperately trying to reconnect.
St. Louis officials have been reducing the inmate population at the St. Louis Medium Security Institution, also known as the workhouse, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Before the workhouse was emptied in June, the city had about 200 federal detainees. Another 100 or so were moved out of the St. Louis County jail.
Dejon J. Jackson was moved twice. His mother, Stephanie Dunn, of St. Louis, said he had to leave behind property and money in his inmate account with each move. A four-and-one-half hour trip to Kentucky would get her a 15-minute visitation at the jail.
“I feel like they don’t care,” Dunn said.
U.S. Marshal John D. Jordan said dealing with the shortage of jail space close to St. Louis has been “challenging.” He acknowledged it’s been tough on families.
Inmates from St. Louis are being housed in Clark County, Indiana; in Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield, Kentucky; in Crittenden County in Kentucky; and in the Henderson County Detention Center in Indiana.
Jordan expects the crush to ease as courts eliminate COVID-19 backlogs and jails hire more staff.