St. Louis will install temporary air conditioners in a city jail known as “the workhouse” after temperatures in the city topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degree Celsius), triggering protests outside the lockup, the mayor’s office and local media reported on Saturday (July 22).

To provide relief, the city will install temporary A/C units starting as early as Monday.

St. Louis voters in 2015 rejected a bond measure that would have paid for more air conditioning at the jail and other public works projects.

Civil liberties groups have long criticised conditions at the jail, which has a capacity to hold more than 1,100 people. Most of those held are awaiting trial and cannot afford to pay bail required for release.

“In addition to not having their freedom, they (prisoners) are now experiencing what I would call cruel and unusual punishment,” a protester, Evan Nothman said.

Another protester, Nick Cassoff, said the installation of temporary air conditioning is not good enough.

“The temporary air conditioning they’re going to put in there for a week or two is a small Band-Aid on a big wound,” he said.

On her part, Sonia Nothmann said, “Even upon learning that the city has said that they will install air conditioners, we’ve been in a heat advisory for the past week and that’s unacceptable.”