The City of St. Louis’ Medium Security Institution, known as the Workhouse, is finally coming down.
An excavator began tearing down a portion of the building that formerly held female detainees on Tuesday morning while jail reform advocates watched and cheered. Mayor Tishaura Jones stood outside the shuttered jail and called Inez Bordeaux, deputy director of community collaborations at ArchCity Defenders, to come forward.
Jones then pulled out her phone and called Matt Poirot, chief construction engineer for the city.
“Matt, you’re going to get your instructions from Inez,” Jones said before passing the phone to Bordeaux. “OK Matt, start the demolition!” Bordeaux said.
The small gathering of city officials and jail reform advocacy groups erupted in applause and cheers, and within a minute, the sound of metal against crumbling cement could be heard.
In November 2017, ArchCity Defenders filed a class-action lawsuit against the City of St. Louis detailing poor conditions inside the facility. The lawsuit came after inmates were heard screaming for help from inside the jail during a brutal summer 2017 heat wave, prompting protests and public scrutiny.
ArchCity Defenders and other advocacy groups like the Bail Project started a campaign in 2018 to close the Workhouse following allegations of inhumane living conditions, medical neglect and violence.
Jones proposed closing the jail shortly after taking office in 2021, and the facility was permanently closed on June 17 of that year.
Bordeaux said Tuesday that the start of demolition efforts was a full circle moment. She and others started chanting “Rain, sleet, snow, hail – we won’t stop till you close that jail!” in celebration.
“I feel so incredibly emotional,” Bordeaux said. “I’m shaking. It's just kind of surreal to be here and watch it. I'm so excited for what this means for the people of St Louis, and to know that no other person is going to suffer here, to die here, there won't be any more families who are worried about like their loved ones and the conditions inside of the jail.”
Bordeaux said conditions inside the workhouse are similar to the St. Louis City Justice Center, where 18 detainees have died since 2020. She said it remains to be seen whether or not the city’s hiring of Doug Burris as interim Commissioner of Corrections will bring positive change.
“Instead of having two whole hell-hole jails where people are suffering, where people are neglected, where people's medical care is not being prioritized, and using the prison industrial complex as a way of solving our societal problems — now we only have one jail.”
ArchCity Defenders Executive Director Blake Strode said he believes that like the CJC, the Workhouse was one of the clearest symbols of poor people in cages. He said some city leaders and policy makers laughed at them years ago when the idea of closing the facility was first broached.
“I think it's a really powerful testament to what people can do when they come together and raise their voices and demand change,” Strode said. “We could do much better by serving people, by giving people the kind of support and care that they need.”
Demolition efforts were initially slated to begin in December but were delayed due to concerns about lead and asbestos at the property located on Hall Street.
According to the mayor’s office, work to abate the property must continue before the rest of the demolition can be completed. Environmental Operations Inc. is abating lead, asbestos and other environmentally hazardous materials in the remaining buildings. The company will also spearhead demolitions, along with subcontractors TA Contracting, RJP, Gooden Plumbing, Volition Hauling and M. Jones Enterprises.
The total contract amount is $2.24 million, and funds are coming from the city’s building repair fund.
Jones said proposals will be accepted to create a memorial at the Workhouse site until May 13.
“Demolishing the Workhouse does not heal the wounds it has left on all the individual survivors, their friends and families, and the St. Louis community,” Jones said. “By beginning this demolition today, we are saying that we will never again accept the conditions that were apparent here.”
