ST. LOUIS – Questions have been swirling since the St. Louis Jail commissioner went on leave last month. But now, new information is coming to light.
FOX 2 has confirmed that Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah’s St. Louis home is now up for sale.
The for sale sign in the yard says just listed. Property records confirm Clemons-Abdullah owns the home, buying it about a month after she took the top job at the City Justice Center, appointed by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones three years ago.
She went on leave two weeks ago.
The mayor’s office did not make the news public for nearly a week, citing the City of St. Louis Revised Code, which says personnel records are closed to the public and closed to other city employees and officials. However, the revised code also says information including name, salary, and length of service are public records.
FOX 2 asked Jones and her staff if Clemons-Abdullah was still being paid and expected to return to her job.
“You know that’s a personnel matter; I can’t discuss that,” the mayor said.
“Can’t you say whether you expect her to come back?” FOX 2’s Andy Banker asked.
“Andy, that’s a personnel matter, and I can’t discuss that,” Jones responded.
Members of the Board of Aldermen say rumors and misinformation are filling the void left by the lack of transparency about Clemons-Abdullah’s status.
“This culture of secrecy is inexcusable. The public deserves to know who’s running the jail, whether or not she’s coming back, whether or not she’s being paid,” Alderwoman Cara Spencer (Ward 8), who’s running against Jones in the 2025 Mayoral election, said. “At the end of the day, the buck’s got to stop somewhere, and the public needs to know with whom that is…these are people’s lives on the line.”
Alderman Rasheen Aldridge (Ward 14) added, “What does her leave mean for inmates in there? What does that mean for the families? I definitely wish there was a little bit more transparency.”
There have been multiple crises during Clemons-Abdullah’s tenure, including a guard being held hostage and beaten, rampant drug use among inmates, and more than a dozen inmate deaths. There have been protests over a lack of inmate health services and complaints about a lack of access for defense attorneys and a civilian oversight board.
Board of Aldermen President Megan Green is now sharing that Clemons-Abdullah took leave for a medical reason.
“That is what I’ve been told—that it is medical leave, and we can’t weigh in on personal matters like that. The way we have to look at it, is if somebody’s a medical issue or whatever; that’s really a personal issue that we can’t speak to publicly,” Green said.
All parties are concerned about Clemons-Abdullah’s well-being. FOX 2 has reached out to her several times with no response, aside from being told via doorbell camera that she was not home.
Deputy Jail Commissioner Tammy Ross has been named acting jail commissioner. She’s been with the Division of Corrections for more than 22 years.
