Corrections officers interviewed in report sent to U.S. Department of Justice
ST. LOUIS, March 24, 2009 – An American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri (ACLU-EM) preliminary investigation of civil liberties violations at the St. Louis City Justice Center and the Medium Security Institution in St. Louis has been sent to the United States Justice Department for review.
“We made the decision that the United States Department of Justice should be notified about the allegations contained in our report,” said Brenda Jones, Executive Director for the ACLU-EM. “Correctional officers have described a pattern of beatings, sexual misconduct, and other crimes which need to be verified or refuted. We hope the document will be the catalyst for further investigation.”
In interviews conducted by the ACLU-EM over a two-year period, corrections officers at both facilities testified to rampant misconduct at the two jails. The six interviews served as the genesis of the report -“Suffering in Silence: Human Rights Abuses in St. Louis Correctional Centers.”
To view a summary and the full report, check below.
Among the findings in the ACLU-EM report: · Inmate assaults by corrections officers · Systemic cover ups and false reporting of the incidents · Sexual harassment and sexual misconduct · Medical neglect · Negligence resulting in death
According to the corrections officers interviewed by the ACLU-EM, human dignity is contemptuously disregarded and civil liberties violations and physical abuse of prisoners are regularly covered up by officials at the St. Louis City Justice Center and the Medium Security Institution.
ACLU-EM Program Associate Redditt Hudson, who led the investigation and conducted the interviews, said a combination of independent investigation, oversight, litigation, and advocacy is needed to bring real and lasting reform to the two jails.
“Without intervention, there is no reason to think any of these conditions are going to change,” Hudson said. “It is my hope that decent citizens who know the facts and read this report will push for reform.”
The ACLU-EM is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, membership organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of civil liberties in eastern Missouri. Located in St. Louis ACLU-EM is an affiliate of the national ACLU. The ACLU-EM defends civil liberties and the principles of equality and justice in eastern Missouri through its Litigation, Legislative and Public Education Programs. The ACLU was founded in 1920 as the first public interest law firm of its kind, and is recognized as the country’s foremost advocate of individual rights.