Close the Workhouse
The Workhouse was an inhumane jail in St. Louis City that harmed thousands of Black St. Louisans for 50 years.
The Close the Workhouse (CTW) campaign began in 2018, driven by survivors of the Workhouse, whose stories inspired a movement that led to the jail’s closure and redefined public safety in St. Louis.
In 2021, three years into the CTW campaign, the City defunded it, and it’s been empty since 2022. In 2023, the City sought community input on its future. Those recommendations, shared in a 2024 report, provide realistic suggestions that the City has chosen to disregard and even oppose.
Initially, we demanded permanent closure, and after two years of the jail being empty, we’ve updated our demands to reflect the community vision in the Re-envision the Workhouse report.
Empty Not Closed
Watch the trailer for Empty Not Closed: Disappearing the Workhouse for Good, the forthcoming documentary about the history of the CTW campaign.
The Re-envisioning the Workhouse report
After 6+ years of organizing and advocacy by the Close the Workhouse, a report reached the Mayor’s desk with recommendations for the building and the surrounding 30 acres.
