If you’re not familiar with the city or the Midwestern United States, St. Louis, Missouri is one of the most abandoned cities in the country.

Similar to Detroit, Chicago, or Flint, St. Louis is a largely abandoned city that once boomed with industry, but is now a shell of its former self. It’s known for its suburb Ferguson, where Michael Brown was shot and killed by police in 2015.

In another demonstration of St. Louis’ state of decay, inmates in a city jail recently had to scream for help through windows in the facility due to dangerously hot temperatures inside.

It was extremely unlikely that anyone hear their cries for help in such an impoverished and abandoned city, but it actually made headlines, from American to Russian mainstream media. According to RT:

“Most of those housed in the jail have not been convicted of a crime and are awaiting trial. Many simply cannot post bail, according to the Riverfront Times.

The facility, built in 1966, can house over 1,100 inmates. Only a few sections of the institution are air conditioned, meaning staffers routinely work in hot spaces. The inmates must rely on vented windows for air circulation.

Staffers and newly released inmates have described awful conditions, Davis said.”

A member of the government responsible for situations like this, State House Representative Joshua Peters, was quick to capitalize on the situation, writing to the head of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services only after the media reported on the jail’s conditions. He said:

“I recently had the opportunity to view first-hand the deplorable and unsanitary health conditions of the St. Louis Workhouse.

[S]pecifically mold in dining facilities as well as infestations of insects and vermin. The facility is not air conditioned and inmates have been calling from their cells begging for help in this blistering heat wave.”

So that’s a summary of St. Louis, Missouri’s situation: there is little opportunity in the city, a lot of crime, and the people who are incarcerated may suffer other unnecessary problems.

Then, fake politicians will pretend to do something about it, and nothing will ever be done. That’s the Midwestern United States, a not so positive aspect of the region at least.

(Image credit: blackbuzzworthy)