ST. LOUIS — The American Civil Liberties Union is joining with other advocacy groups in asking city officials to grant them immediate access to the City Justice Center to document the treatment of inmates there in the aftermath of mayhem that erupted last weekend.
The ACLU, ArchCity Defenders and the state public defender's office are among those that issued a letter to the city Wednesday saying stories shared by inmates and their lawyers paint "a very different picture from that advanced by the city."
The letter asks Mayor Lyda Krewson and other city officials to respond by the next day, Thursday, on whether access to the CJC will be granted. The groups threatened civil action if they're denied entry to the jail's housing units and common areas.
