Inmates at a St. Louis Jail are protesting what they call “inhumane conditions” at the jail. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes:
Inmates in at least two areas of the City Justice Center escaped their cells Sunday to break windows, shout to spectators and throw debris to the sidewalk below in the latest uprising over conditions at the downtown jail.
Inmates broke through the windows on the northwest corner of the third floor of the jail, below windows that were boarded up from the last riot in February. They threw furniture, a computer, toilet paper and their own clothing to the street below, and started a fire on the exterior of the building. Some chanted “We want court dates,” a reference to delays in court appearances and trials caused by the pandemic.
ST Louis jail inmates are holding up a sign that says "help us" during a long uprising in which windows were broken and small fires were started.
They're calling for better treatment and case processing. St Louis facilities have been long called out for inhumane treatment. https://t.co/E76pL3kUrf pic.twitter.com/tcTKoXZzQh
— Griffin (@GriffinMalone6) April 5, 2021
This is reportedly the fourth time in as many months that a riot has broken out at the jail. According to NBC News, Missouri House of Representatives Rep. Rasheen Aldridge. Jr. said:
“Here we are, less than a month since the last uprising and there have been no changes to right these significant wrongs. I look forward to working with the next administration to address the concerns of the detainees and to make the facility safe for all who are in it. Treating people as if they don’t have inherent worth is how we end up here. Continuing to ignore the cries for help will only ensure that more riots happen.”
https://twitter.com/tishaura/status/1378916917436686336
Watch more above from the CBS affiliate in St. Louis.