Mo. prison population reaches all-time high

The number of corrections officers is decreasing.

By Alicia Stice

Published Oct. 27, 2009

The Missouri prison population reached an all-time high this September, said Jacqueline Lapine, Missouri Department of Corrections Public Information Officer.

The increase in prisoner population comes at a time when the number of corrections officers working in Missouri prisons is declining, said Gary Gross, Missouri Corrections Officers Association executive director.

According to the Missouri Department of Corrections Web site, the institutional prison population reached 30,608 in August. Lapine said by September the number increased to 30,720.

"It's a number that changes on a daily basis," Lapine said.

A recent court order required courts in St. Louis to move their backlog cases from its docket at a faster rate.

"We don't know for sure if that's contributing to the high numbers of prisoners but it could be a factor," Lapine said.

Higher crime and conviction rates could also cause an influx of prisoners.

Lapine said at this point, prisons are not in danger of reaching their capacity. Although the number of prisoners is high, Lapine said there is plenty of space to house offenders and sufficient staff to ensure safety.

"Prisoner population is obviously something we keep a close eye on," she said.

A special task force with the Department of Corrections is in charge of monitoring the population, Lapine said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri has received complaints about overcrowding in St. Louis jails, said John Chasnoff, ACLU of Eastern Missouri program director.

The ACLU has heard reports of two inmates being held in cells designed for one person and three inmates in a cell for two. Chasnoff said in these cases, one inmate has to sleep on a structure on the floor.

"We've heard reports about initial holding cells where people are crowded to the point people have to sleep next to the toilet," Chasnoff said.

The Boone County Jail has reached its operating capacity of 187, Boone County Sheriff's Department Capt. Keith Hoskins said.

"We're out of room here, so we have to house offenders out of county," Hoskins said.

There are 210 beds in the prison, but the operating capacity is 187 because prison officials need to operate based on the ability to move prisoners around, Hoskins said. This is to ensure safety in incidents, such as fights.

Hoskins said staffing does not change based on the number of inmates.

"Our staff is the same whether we have 150 or 100 inmates," Hoskins said.

The increased prison population is an issue the Corrections Officers Association is concerned with, Gross said. Although the statewide inmate population has increased, the number of corrections officers is on the decline.

Gross said Gov. Jay Nixon's budget cuts have affected the number of new corrections officers hired, leading to a gradual decline in the number of corrections officers in Missouri.

"I don't know that our prisons are technically overcrowded, but due to the economy, our staffing is down," Gross said.

These staffing issues can add to the stress associated with exposure to the prison environment. Gross said corrections officers have to work a lot of overtime.

Gross also said safety issues are always a concern in prisons, and the decline in corrections officers is of concern.

"Hardly a week goes by that someone isn't assaulted," Gross said. "Not a year goes by that we don't have people severely assaulted."

Upon a report on overcrowding issued by the ACLU, the St. Louis Board of Alderman mandated officials from the Missouri Department of Public Safety have sit down meetings with ACLU representatives.

"We're not taking any legal action at the moment, but we're doing more than monitoring the situation," Chasnoff said.