The Ste. Geneviève County jail in southeast Missouri is housing hundreds of people in conditions that fall far short of what any detention facility should allow — and the people in charge need to hear from you.

On May 27, 2026, U.S. Representatives Wesley Bell and Nikki Budzinski toured the Ste. Geneviève County Sheriff's Office and Detention Center as members of the House Oversight Committee. What they found was alarming. Detainees told them directly that they had been drinking water from the showers because they weren't given enough drinking water. Up to 48 people were packed into a single cell. People were sleeping on thin inflatable mats on the floor. Detainees said they rarely got time out of their cells and couldn't access the notary services they need to make critical legal decisions — like child custody agreements — even though jail officials claimed notaries were available.

The Ste. Geneviève County jail has a capacity of around 450 people. Under its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it is permitted to house up to 400 ICE detainees at a time — people who are awaiting immigration proceedings, not serving criminal sentences. That contract reportedly generates around $85 per person per night. Unlike other jails in Missouri, the facility does not post a public roster of who is being held there, making it harder for families and attorneys to locate their loved ones.

We are calling on Sheriff Gary Stolzer and Ste. Geneviève County officials to immediately address the conditions inside their facility: provide adequate drinking water, ensure proper sleeping arrangements, allow regular time outside of cells, and guarantee access to notaries and legal assistance. If the county is going to profit from this contract, it must be held to a basic standard of care.

Sign this petition to demand that Sheriff Stolzer and county leadership act now.