Which side are you on?
Last week, USA Today ran a hit piece on federal prisoners with the tabloid headline, “Government shutdown: Federal inmates feast on Cornish hens, steak as prison guards labor without pay.” Not to be outdone, The Washington Post followed this up with their own shameful story under the headline, “‘I been eatin like a boss’: Federal prisoners served steak by unpaid guards during shutdown.” The problem here is twofold. First, the shutdown has nothing to do with the food served to federal prisoners and, second, the food descriptions are wildly exaggerated.
So much for USA Today and the Washington Post. —Meanwhile, somewhat closer to what must meanly pass for reality:
“We’re not talking about fancy luxury items here,” Mr. Patton said in a telephone interview.
“We’re talking about being able to converse with your attorney when you haven’t yet been convicted of a crime. We’re talking about being able to see your children or your spouse or your parents.”
“This is the absolute lowest baseline we should expect of a government when it detains people and assumes responsibility for their well-being,” he added.
Addendum:
“Seminole County Jail inmates can no longer handle letters or pictures mailed by family and friends as a new system requires those incarcerated to view digital copies of their messages.
“Under an agreement between the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and Smart Communications Holding Inc., a Tampa-based company, the jail also plans to replace all in-person visits at the jail with a video-visitation system.
“As of Dec. 21, letters meant for inmates must be sent to a post office box in Pinellas Park, where they are opened and scanned. Scans are sent to the jail, where inmates view them using a digital kiosk. Inmates are not charged for the scanning and still can send mail. The contract allows inmates to send and receive electronic messages instantly—similar to text messages or emails, but monitored by jail staff—for a fee.”