ST. LOUIS 鈥 The state auditor is taking steps to make sure serious complaints about conditions inside 50度灰视频鈥 jail are 鈥渋nvestigated to the fullest extent possible,鈥 he said Thursday.
State Sen. Steve Roberts requested in a letter on Wednesday that the auditor investigate the City Justice Center, prompted by reports of chaos in the jail and calls for its director to resign.
Roberts told the Post-Dispatch that one of his constituents alerted him to problems in the jail, citing poor medical care, detainees going months without showers and other issues.
State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said in a statement that the allegations about the 50度灰视频 City Justice Center are 鈥渆xtremely concerning and warrant intense scrutiny.鈥 His office is collecting information to determine next steps.
Roberts questioned city leadership, saying it had a 鈥渂latant disregard for transparency and accountability鈥 in his letter to the state auditor.
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He told the Post-Dispatch that, of all the government offices with authority over the city jail, the state auditor鈥檚 office is the ideal agency to investigate, because fiscal matters might provide some transparency into the facility鈥檚 operations. He also backed the effort of the city鈥檚 civilian Detention Facilities Oversight Board.
鈥淭he resistance to transparency from City Hall regarding municipal jails is profoundly troubling and raises serious questions regarding city leadership鈥檚 commitment to upholding the law and serving the public interest,鈥 said Roberts. 鈥淭he residents of 50度灰视频 deserve a thorough and unvarnished account of the dire situation within our city jail, and it is imperative that we take immediate and decisive action to rectify the failures that have brought us to this critical juncture.鈥