ST. LOUIS — Mayoral candidate Cara Spencer is criticizing the city’s handling of its jail consolidation while maintaining her support for closing the controversial medium-security facility known as the Workhouse, highlighting a growing crisis over detention conditions that has become a focal point in the race for City Hall.
“The deaths in our CJC (City Justice Center) have spiked ever since,” Spencer said in a recent neighborhood community event, addressing the aftermath of the Workhouse closure. While standing by her characterization of the Workhouse as a “symbol of oppression,” Spencer later argued the city was “clearly not prepared” to make the CJC its sole detention facility.
“The CJC has shown to be even worse,” Spencer said in an interview with 5 On Your Side, citing issues including malfunctioning locks and lack of outdoor access. “The solution has been worse than the problem.”…