A former corrections officer says chronic understaffing and bare-bones training have turned the St. Louis County Justice Center into a risky place for both staff and people in custody. Ushma Michel, who says she joined the county jail in August 2024 and left in July 2025, told reporters she once pulled a 12-hour overnight shift alone while responsible for hundreds of detainees. Her account surfaces as auditors and accreditation inspectors flag moldy showers, flooding and other sanitation failures that county officials say will require expensive repairs.
One guard, hundreds of detainees
In an interview with The Marshall Project, Michel described marathon shifts with almost no backup and recalled an overnight when "it was just one of us handling 200 inmates," warning that slow responses to crises could be deadly. That reporting also noted the county jail failed an inspection by the American Correctional Association and that staffing levels fell even as the jail population climbed, creating ongoing safety concerns.
Audit finds mold and a multimillion-dollar bill
County auditors and officials estimate roughly $36 million will be needed over the next five years to fix plumbing, fire-safety systems and chronic water damage at the facility, according to reporting by Corrections1. That coverage points to an audit that documented black mold in showers, leaking fixtures and overflowing toilets, with inspectors suggesting the problems have been festering for years.
Hiring practices and daily neglect
Michel told St. Louis Public Radio the county leans on an outside recruiting firm that brings in officers as young as 19 and that detainees are sometimes assigned to clean the same showers inspectors criticized in their reports. She also alleged that some nurses and guards intentionally neglect people in custody, a claim that has added fuel to demands for stronger training and tighter oversight.
Officials point to pay and recruitment
County and jail leaders have told reporters that low pay and poor retention are the biggest obstacles to hiring and keeping experienced staff, and interim leaders have floated recruitment bonuses and wellness programs as ways to hold on to the officers they have, as The Marshall Project reported. With the county budget already stretched thin, officials say they are weighing difficult tradeoffs between funding major repairs, raising salaries or expanding training so veteran officers stay on the floor.
What’s next
Inspectors from the American Correctional Association are scheduled to return this spring to reassess whether the jail meets accreditation standards, according to St. Louis Public Radio. Advocates quoted by local outlets argue that shrinking the jail population and investing in training and support for staff could be a faster, more effective fix than a massive overhaul of the building itself, a point underscored by reporting from the Missouri Independent.
