Six deaths have occurred at the St. Louis City Justice Center in the last five months, leading city public defenders and several criminal justice reform nonprofits to call on Mayor Tishaura Jones to reform the jail. This morning the St. Louis City Office of the Missouri State Public Defender System, Action St. Louis, the ArchCity Defenders and several other criminal justice reform organizations signed on to a statement detailing what they call “deplorable” conditions at the jail and outlining steps they believe need to be taken toward reform. The letter was drafted in response to the deaths of six detainees that have occurred at the jail since April.