He Complained About The Workhouse, Then He Was Fired: Lawsuit

ST. LOUIS, MO — Melvin Diggs, a former corrections officer at St. Louis' Medium Security Institution — also called the Workhouse — was fired after complaining about the facility's unsafe conditions, the Riverfront Times reports. Diggs has filed a federal lawsuit against both the city and five fellow officers.

Activists have long called for the Workhouse to be shut down, citing the facility's alleged inhumane conditions. Earlier this month, a 49-year-old inmate, Louis Payton, died after collapsing at the jail. His family still don't know exactly how he died. And, in May, 30-year-old Andre Jones hanged himself there with a bedsheet.

Many of Diggs' allegations match those in prior complaints and lawsuits against the facility: mold, rodents, excessive heat and cold. Inmates were also denied food and water, the lawsuit claims. Diggs' attorney said he not only complained himself but encouraged other employees and inmates to do so as well.

That doesn't seem to have gone over well with his superiors.

Diggs was disciplined in 2017 after corrections officials accused him of improperly documenting a use-of-force incident. He said those accusations were just a pretext to fire him, which the city did shortly thereafter, when a witness came forward accusing Diggs of threatening to "shoot up the place."

According to the RFT, Diggs had taken some leave after he was disciplined, saying he was depressed, but he denied making any threats. Other employees told officials they didn't believe the allegations against Diggs were credible. No police reports were filed and no other witnesses were interviewed, according to the lawsuit.

(For more stories like this, subscribe to Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. You can also download the free Patch app for iPhone and Android.)

Critics say many of the inmates housed at the facility are there awaiting trial, unable to afford the cash bail to secure their release.

"Virtually every single person suffering in the Workhouse right now is innocent under the law yet being punished because of poverty," said Thomas Harvey, executive director of Arch City Defenders, a legal advocacy group.

Diggs' attorney said his case has "a lot of implications" for St. Louis.

Read more from the Riverfront Times.

Image via Shutterstock