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ST. LOUIS — Mayor Tishaura O. Jones is defending her jail commissioner in the wake of inmate deaths, a hostage situation and ongoing fights with independent watchdogs.

In a letter to the jail’s civilian oversight board, Jones pushed back on the board’s complaints that Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah is blocking efforts to investigate problems at the jail. She has done good work over the past two years, Jones wrote, to make the City Justice Center safer and improve meals and educational programming for its residents.

“She continues to have my full confidence in her current role,� Jones wrote.

The letter, dated Friday, marked the first time Jones has personally responded to the board’s complaints and calls for Clemons-Abdullah’s resignation. The response amounted to a broad defense of Jones’ efforts to clean up the city’s jail system three years after she made it a key plank in her campaign platform.

She said that she, too, has been deeply troubled by the inmate deaths, and that conditions at the downtown jail must improve. But she gave no indication she thinks her approach needs to change.

Jail board members bristled some on Monday at Jones’ letter.

“She’s telling us, in a very subtle way, to stay in our place,� said the Rev. Darryl Gray. He said the board would continue its work to make the jail safer and more respectful of its residents’ civil rights.

Pamela Walker, a board member and former city health director, said it was kind of amazing to see the mayor sticking by Clemons-Abdullah.

“Anyone who thinks their commissioner is doing a good job after nine deaths in two years must be confused,� she said.

The concept of a civilian oversight board for jails dates back to early 2021, shortly after Jones swept into office pledging to transform the city’s jail system.

She was emptying the Workhouse, the old northside jail long criticized by activists as a sweltering disgrace, and transferring its inmates to the newer jail downtown. But violent disturbances at the new jail were raising concerns, and she backed the creation of a new oversight board to look into detainee complaints of inhumane conditions there, too.

The board, however, has struggled so far to do much of anything.

For most of last year, litigation stalled efforts to investigate the deaths of six inmates attributed to overdoses, suicide and natural causes. And when a judge finally cleared that up, oversight board members said they faced new obstacles from the administration itself and accused Clemons-Abdullah of blocking access to the jail, its staff, inmates and important records, like those documenting use of force.

In May, Matthew Brummund, an ex-FBI agent hired to staff the jail oversight board, was so frustrated he resigned, and the oversight board called for Clemons-Abdullah’s ouster.

But the Jones administration brushed off the concerns then, saying board members needed to complete training on confidentiality, federal and state laws and other topics before beginning investigations.

The standoff came to a head late last month, when two inmates died in the span of two weeks and a group of inmates took a guard hostage for several hours before police SWAT officers intervened.

Janis Mensah, the board’s vice chair, went to the jail the day the second inmate died to investigate the deaths and was arrested in the lobby.

Aldermen usually supportive of the administration lashed out, saying the board’s impotence was leaving abuse and excessive force reports unchecked. They implored city officials to be more transparent.

“We must prioritize human life over bureaucracy,� a statement from the board’s Public Safety Committee read.

Aldermanic President Megan Green said it was time for Clemons-Abdullah to go.

“Nine deaths in two years — two within two weeks — is appalling,� Green said in a statement. “This level of neglect and misconduct requires an immediate change in leadership at the City Justice Center (CJC) and greater oversight of our correctional facilities.�

She later moderated that statement, saying a “change in leadership� could include hiring experts to help the commissioner.

The administration said little until Jones’ response Friday. In her letter, the mayor acknowledged ongoing problems at the jail. She said the inmate deaths weigh heavily on her heart. She said officials could have communicated better about the events of recent weeks. And she said the city is working to improve health care at the jail by cutting ties with its current provider and giving the city health department increased oversight of the next one.

But she backed Clemons-Abdullah and said change won’t happen overnight. She reiterated that board members must complete their training before doing their jobs, and said her administration stands ready to help board members get that done by the end of the October.

But she also noted that the board’s job is to investigate detainee complaints, not to run the jail.

“That is the responsibility of the Commissioner and the Director of Public Safety,� Jones wrote.

The jail board met Monday evening. It approved a motion requesting that the mayor allow it to hire an attorney to represent it, independent of the city counselor’s office.

One member, Barbara Baker, announced her resignation.

Baker spent more than a decade in prison and now runs a nonprofit helping recently released women reenter society; she said she didn’t have the energy keep fighting the city.

The board hit “obstacle after obstacle� in investigating the jail, she said.

But she said she was rooting for the others to continue the work.

“This is a very important board with very important work that needs to be done,� said Baker, “with very important work that needs to be done.�

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.