I have tremendous respect for Joel Sjerven and his passion for criminal justice reform. I found his article informative yet must correct one statement he made: “Mayor Krewson ignored their pleas until protests formed outside the Work House demanding air conditioning.”
The reality is that Alderman Joe Vaccaro, 23rd Ward, had worked diligently to improve conditions at the Medium Security Institution on Hall Street. On Mayor Slay’s last day in office, Slay vetoed a piece of legislation written by Vaccaro that was approved by the Board of Aldermen. In Mayor Krewson’s first week on office, a revision of that vetoed legislation passed through the Board of Aldermen and was on Krewson’s desk awaiting her signature.
An amendment to that legislation was added by BOA Black Caucus Leader, Alderman Terry Kennedy, which stipulated that employees and volunteers in the criminal justice system suspected of abuse and/or neglect of inmates would be reported as the State of Missouri statue has stipulated. That particular piece of legislation should have been a walk in the park; unfortunately, but legislation languished on the desk of another alder who declared, “I am not focused on civil rights issues,” when asked about progress with that legislation. That alder was among the most visual in media coverage of the protests held at the MSI.
Additionally, Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed already had in place plans for portable air conditioners to be delivered to the MSI prior to the protests. Knowing both that Aldermen Vaccaro and Kennedy had worked together on a comprehensive legislative action that Mayor Krewson agreed to sign and that portable air conditioners were on their way to provide relief for inmates, I went to Facebook to plead with organizers of the protests to take their protests to City Hall where the decision makers would be available to witness the protests. My pleas were ignored.
As a result of the presence of the protestors at the MSI, the inmates were placed on lockdown, which curtailed the measures to provide respite from the heat already in place. I had advised, via Facebook, that this would be the result. The need for media attention and the genuine concern among protesters not privy to the information I have detailed above took priority over the physical well-being of the inmates. I found that disheartening and ironic.
Teri Powers
St. Louis