#CTW2020 Press Conference Media Advisory
Close the Workhouse Campaign Announces Detailed Plan to Shutter the Hellish Jail and Garners More Support from Local Officials
For decades, St. Louis City’s Medium Security Institution aka ‘The Workhouse,’ has been a de-facto pre-trial detention center that’s remained a source of great public concern due to its grotesque and inhumane conditions. At this press conference, the Close the Workhouse (CtW) campaign will share the contents of a new, detailed plan to shutter the jail and reallocate taxpayer dollars to community services and resources. St. Louis City elected officials will also make a new announcement regarding their support for closing the Workhouse. CtW members and partner organizations will echo their support for the plan.
Since 2013, the number of people caged in the two City jails has decreased by 50%. The steady decrease is a result of community organizing, political pressure, community and Bail Project bailouts, litigation and prosecutorial reforms. On January 1, 2020, City data documents 870 people as confined in the two jails, and with CJC having a capacity of 860, the campaign's timely plan strikes not only a moral but fiscal imperative. CtW’s 2020 plan provides compelling evidence, answers to frequently asked questions, and a timeline for the City to close the Workhouse.
WHEN:
Tuesday, January 14, 2020, 12 PM CT
WHERE:
St. Louis City Hall (specific location TBD), 1200 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63103
SPEAKERS*:
Kayla Reed, Founder and Director, Action St. Louis
Inez Bordeaux, Manager of Community Collaborations, ArchCity Defenders
John Chasnoff, Founder and Director, CAPCR
Callion Barnes, Member, Close the Workhouse
St. Louis City Public Officials
*order and list subject to change
ADDITIONAL INFO:
Limited print copies of the report will be available at the press conference and will also be available via the CtW campaign's website. The campaign, launched in April 2018, is a growing grassroots movement made up of directly impacted people and allied organizations working to permanently close the jail and ensure another is not built in its place. The campaign’s core organizations are Action St. Louis, the Bail Project, and ArchCity Defenders. CtW receives broad support from regional and national stakeholders such as the Advancement Project (National Office).
A brief question and answer period will follow the speakers remarks. Members of Close the Workhouse and leaders of the core organizations will have media availability afterward. Please contact media representatives of public officials for their availability/comment. Visit ClosetheWorkhouse.org for more background, a listing of partnered organizations, news clips, and the campaign’s first report published in 2018. Follow Close the Workhouse on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for regular updates, events, and news, and by using #closetheworkhouse. Additional hashtags for the report include: #CTW2020 and #AJustSTL.
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