MacArthur Foundation

Did pandemic policies that reduced jail populations lead to an increase in violent crime? Two new reports say “no.”

The $300,000 grant will fund a team of researchers who will talk to corrections officers and jail residents to understand how racism and racial inequalities play out in the jail.

The centers give people a space to address outstanding warrants and other legal matters without risking arrest.

Bookings at the St. Louis County jail dropped by 47% between February and October during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance. St. Louis County’s average daily jail population also decreased by an average of 30% from 2016 to 2019.