The City of St. Louis just gained a provisional new Commissioner of Corrections, and he's someone with a notable history in the field. Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has appointed Doug Burris, known for his work in reducing recidivism rates and reinforcing public trust in correctional institutions, to lead the City Justice Center on an interim basis. This comes after the facility has seen its share of challenges and the need for ongoing improvement is evident.
Burris's career spans decades and highlights a track record of success, including a stint as director of justice services at the St. Louis County Jail, which, during his three-year tenure, did not experience any inmate deaths, and earned high accreditation scores. "When Doug Burris was asked to take over the St. Louis County Jail, the facility was facing serious challenges. But by the time he left, it received the highest accreditation scores of any jail in the country," Mayor Jones said, according to the official announcement from the City of St. Louis website.
Before accepting the role of interim commissioner, Burris played a consulting part at CJC in early December, tasked with conducting an operational review. His report evidently contained recommendations that interested city officials. He aims to rally local leaders and public officials around a mission of transparency and shared goals. "I'll be leaning on them to ensure that, going forward, the Corrections Division will lead with transparency and make changes based on the shared goals of safety, treating all people associated with the jail with humanity, and producing positive outcomes," Burris said as per the Mayor’s Office.
Mayor Jones has set an ambitious agenda for Burris, directing him to begin putting recommendations from his Operational Review into action within his first two months on the job. Specifics of those recommendations will be disclosed to the public, an effort presumably aiming to bolster a sense of accountability and progress. Public Safety Director Charles Coyle expressed confidence in Burris, stating on the City of St. Louis website, "The provisional hiring of Doug Burris — a person with an impressive, yet tangible, track record — will not only help to sustain the effective results of the changes that we've begun to implement; but, it will help to reinforce metrics that will build on these improvements in the months and years to come."
The appointment also seems to be a strategic part of a larger push towards holistic health and safety in the facility. "The Department of Health looks forward to working with Interim Commissioner Burris to continually assess and improve the conditions and quality of services provided to those entrusted in our care," Dr. Mati Hslatshwayo Davis, Director of Health, noted in the statement from the City of St. Louis website
