Medium Security Institution facts for kids
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| Location | 7600 Hall St, St Louis, Missouri |
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| Status | Defunct |
| Security class | Medium |
| Capacity | 1,138 |
| Population | 185 (as of August 7, 2021) |
| Opened | 1966 |
| Closed | 2021 |
| Managed by | Public Safety Department - City of St. Louis |
| Director | Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah |
The Medium Security Institution, also known as The Workhouse, was a prison in St. Louis, Missouri. The city government owned and ran it. It opened in 1966.
The Workhouse became well-known for its very bad conditions. These included hot rooms, not enough food, and forced work. The prison closed on June 17, 2021. People held there were moved to another city building.
The Workhouse: A Look Back
The Workhouse opened in 1966. It got its nickname from an old city rule from the 1840s. This rule allowed people who couldn't pay their fines to be forced to work as punishment.
The prison became famous for its poor living conditions. People held there were often made to do hard labor.
Protests and Lawsuits
On July 4, 2018, a group called Close the Workhouse held protests. They gathered outside city hall. They wanted to show how bad the prison conditions were.
In 2019, a group called Arch City Defenders filed a big lawsuit. They said the basic rights of people in the prison were being broken. They pointed to dirty conditions, poor air, and not enough medical care. The lawsuit said temperatures inside the prison sometimes went above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The city then spent money on portable air conditioners for the prison.
Closing the Workhouse
In 2021, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones suggested closing the Workhouse. This was on her very first day in office. The prison officially closed on June 17, 2021. This happened less than a month after Mayor Jones took office.
