The St. Louis City NAACP is calling for expanded pretrial services and diversion programs as the City Justice Center approaches its 860-person capacity.
The jail reported 852 people confined Wednesday. The NAACP, in a report submitted Monday to the U.S. Department of Justice, argues that supervised release, mental health and substance-use diversion and other alternatives could reduce the jail population and the need for additional space.
Mayor Cara Spencer said this week that the city lacks money for a new jail. Corrections Commissioner Nate Hayward said the city is hiring someone to work with judges to identify detainees who could qualify for pretrial release…