The leader of the St. Louis County jail says the facility needs millions in funding over the next five years for critical improvements.

Jonel Coleman, acting director of the St. Louis County Justice Services Department , presented the department’s 2025 and 2026 budgets to the St. Louis County Council Budget Committee this week. She outlined the need for more staff, greater training, increased mental health resources, new clothing for residents and building maintenance.

The jail’s current year-to-date budget is $40.4 million — and only 71% of that has been spent as of late October, mostly due to unfilled positions, the reduction of uniform purchases and reduced staff dining. The proposed 2026 budget, at just over $41.3 million, reflects a 2% increase. Coleman said the increased fundin

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