Female inmates upset about conditions (10/18/05)

To the editor:

Are we discriminated against because we are women? Isn’t it the law that we get one hour of recreation out of our housing unit? No heat, no hot water, no toilet paper. Where’s all the money going?

This county jail houses about 50 inmates, six of which are women. How can they expect us not to communicate with the males? The only communication we do have is through a keyhole in a door which leads to the recreation yard. Because of us communicating, our rec privilege has been taken away for the rest of the year. This all began when the males, while on their way to the bookshelf, stopped and looked in the women’s cell block. Oh, by the way, the bookshelf was done away with also.

They seem to worry so much about male and female communication, what about male-to-male or female-to-female relationships? Isn’t being locked up enough punishment, or do you punish us for communicating with the opposite sex, which is only natural?

Is it snowing out yet? It sure feels like it’s 20-below in here. Our fingers and toes are numb and our teeth chatter, yet they refuse to turn the heat on because they say, “it’s not time yet.”

Yes, we have hot water, but only for the first 30 seconds and if no other inmate is showering at the same time. They refuse to turn the hot water up.

When we ask for toilet paper, their famous words are “we’re running low.”

We understand we are in here because of something we done wrong, but the bottom line is we are still human with rights. Sit back and look at it as if you were in our shoes. Would things change?

From the female inmates at the Jay County Jail — Mindy McCowan, Tabatha Kimble, LeiMamo McElhaney and Christy Chambers

Taken for granted

To the editor:

Is Cindy Sheehan aware that because of her fallen soldier son she is enjoying the freedom to do what she is doing, protesting?

I wonder, if her son had been killed while in an automobile, would she be protesting against the dealership or the maker of the automobile?

Last I knew, there is no draft going on for the military. Her son probably volunteered. Just as with any job, there are uncertainties involved. If her son had a job and had to fly somewhere and there was a plane crash, would she protest against the airlines.

My husband was in the army and did a year in Vietnam. His mother told me that when it is our time to leave this earth, it does not matter where or what we are doing, we will be taken.

Eight months later, at the young age of 44, she died at home in her own bed.

Yes, there are some people that feel we should not be a part of this war. Others know we need to help defend our freedom.

However, from what I understand, the Americans are not the only ones over there trying to help those people gain some of the freedoms that so many of us Americans forget we have.

I have heard some of the military comment on their being there and it is not all bad.

Such is the same as when riding in the automobile, accidents do happen and some are so unexpected and unexplainable.

Thank you,

Roberta Horn

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