Just this past July, Jane Doe's file came up for review for participation in St. Louis County's Safety and Justice Challenge — a nationwide effort funded by the MacArthur Foundation to reduce jail populations and create more fair and effective justice systems. (The individual's name was redacted for privacy reasons.) Jane — a mother of two who was struggling with mental illness and substance abuse — was on probation for forgery when she absconded from Missouri State Probation and Parole, violating her residency and leaving her outstanding restitution unpaid.
Prior to St. Louis County's participation in the program, Jane would have been one of many nonviolent individuals sitting in the St. Louis County jail for violating her probation conditions. In December 2015, the facility housed 1,229 individuals, just barely below its capacity, and many were there solely because they could not pay bond. Individuals like Jane spent as many as 99 days in jail waiting for probation violation hearings, typically for nonviolent, technical violations.
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