Community Corner
Elected Leaders Tour St. Louis Jails, Mayor Jones Reaffirms Plan To Close The Workhouse
ongresswoman Cori Bush was also on the tour.
April 25, 2021
Newly elected St. Louis mayor Tishaura Jones led a group of elected leaders on a tour of the Criminal Justice Center (CJC) and the Medium Security Institution, known as the Workhouse, on Saturday. The group emerged from the Workhouse and had harsh criticism for the living conditions.
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"So, I look forward to the criminal justice ecosystem coming together and having real conversations on the complexities of this problem. But it's not going to happen overnight, it's not going to change overnight," Gardner said.
Bush said she understands that jails aren't hotels, but that detainees still need to be treated with dignity and respect. Jones said she had a personal connection to the issue.
"People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. As the daughter of someone who was incarcerated, this is personal for me," said Jones.
It's unclear where the detainees at the Workhouse will go when it closes. Earlier this week, a spokesman for St. Louis County Executive Sam Page told News 4 that there wasn't any room at the county jail because inmate population was 300 higher this year.
When Jones was asked where the detainees will be moved, she said she was still working on it.
