Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Announces Expanded Hours for Posting Bond

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) for the City of St. Louis today furthered its commitment to enacting meaningful criminal justice reform by announcing expanded access for individuals looking to post bond. 

Beginning Thursday, November 14, 2019, any person housed in the City’s Corrections Division, and who has met their conditions of release, can post bond Monday thru Thursday between 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. and any time all weekend between 8 a.m. Friday and 11 p.m. Sunday, excluding holidays. 

This is a significant change for the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court and all of its City and law enforcement partners as the previous hours for posting bond were restricted only to Monday thru Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

“It took a collaborative effort by Sheriff Vernon Betts, Corrections Commissioner Dale Glass, Police Chief John Hayden, and Presiding Circuit Court Judge Rex Burlison to make this new policy a reality. Each agency had to reallocate existing resources to meet the priority of creating greater access to posting bond after typical working hours,” said Circuit Court Judge Michael Mullen, who serves as Chair of the CJCC. 

Recognizing the need to better establish a fair and equitable criminal justice system, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson in January 2019 convened key stakeholders and elected officials to create the CJCC. It is the only Council of its kind in the State of Missouri and the St. Louis region that is also codified by law. 

The St. Louis Board of Alderman in July 2019 unanimously approved the CJCC Board Bill, which was sponsored by Alderman Jeffrey Boyd. 

“My vision has always been to empower the agencies that do the day-to-day criminal justice work to implement the appropriate solutions. The Council has been very busy rethinking workflows in all the state and local criminal justice agencies within the City. It’s not always front page news, but it’s the kin of necessary work that has a real impact on individuals interacting with the system,” Mayor Krewson said. 

The CJCC hopes to continue expanding hours for posting bond in the future by eventually offering 24/7 access year-round. Signage has been posted around multiple Court and City facilities, alerting individuals to the newest change. 

“Through the Mayor’s vision and CJCC initiative, she effectively empowered state and local criminal justice agencies to address the gaps and find solutions in creating a fair and equitable criminal justice system along the lines of race, gender, geography, and socioeconomic status. No one agency is the problem or the solution. Together, we can all make an impact,” said Debbie Allen, Interim Director of the CJCC and Executive Adviser to Mayor Krewson. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the CJCC and the work its members are doing, please visit the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) website.

 

Related Resources

• Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC)
• Make Bond / Post Bail After An Arrest