Well, I don’t think any question exists about whom’s No. 1 on the most read list at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, aka the jail.
A Murfreesboro businesswoman’s letter to the editor in The Post last Sunday elicited a lot of mail to this editor from inmates.
Those distinctive plain envelopes with the “940” designation for the jail address at 940 New Salem Highway in the return address area were plentiful.
The businesswoman’s letter, you may remember, took offense at an inmate’s earlier letter complaining about conditions at the jail, including limited library facilities, cold food, medical care and recreation facilities.
The businesswoman noted the inmate should recognize that those services are more than some in the community enjoy and instead of complaining the inmate should be thankful to taxpayers for providing basic necessities.
Not trying to be contrary, but the letters tended contradict themselves on several points, especially in generalizing the population.
Most did have one point of note: most, if not all, the books in the pods at the jail are donated by inmates or family members.
Inmates do contribute somewhat to the cost of their medical care.
And, they do have a right to free speech, but then so does the lady who wrote back.
Having read time and time again letters from the jail for more than 20 years now, I know as soon as I identify a 940 address the topic will 99 percent of the time be about food, medical care and exercise facilities.
I would make the following observations to jail inmates:
You may contribute to the cost of your incarceration, but tens and tens of millions are left for taxpayers to bear.
Cold food isn’t unsafe, maybe if from day before. But if it just cooled off getting from prep to cell, it’s not a danger.
Writer’s point: no one wants you to be abused or mistreated. But cold food and limited exercise facilities and opportunities aren’t going to earn you much sympathy from most citizens.
No one wants anyone to suffer medically. But, we all do. None of us can get medical care right then and there. Doctors’ offices have prescribed hours. Even emergency rooms have to deal with sometimes overflowing caseloads and triage based on threat to life over pain and suffering.
The best doctors, hospitals and medicine can only alleviate or relieve much pain and suffering.
Most of us have at one time or another experienced times of discomfort or even extreme pain when medical care wasn’t easily available, maybe not deliver as it should have been or, or many, just wasn’t an option because of financial considerations.
And, the letter writers who noted inmates have to pay $5-10 are not refuting last week’s writer’s point but underscoring it. Nobody gets a doctor’s visit for $5. No doctors would be available to visit at that price. Taxpayers are making up the difference.
While having read lots and lots of letters, I have never seen or heard of any former inmate organizing an effort to improve the facility once they’re out. Not even going before County Commission committee to make a case.
The injustice doesn’t seem to have legs.
I’m not trying to give inmates a hard time. The jail is hard time. On purpose.
Truman Jones wants it to be unpleasant. Not in a mean, degrading way, but in a no-frills, try-not-to-come back way.
Does it work? Probably to some extent.
Certainly, those on the wrong side of the law don’t like being there. Some maybe try to be a bit smarter in their unlawful activities, but most likely some decide maybe changing some of their habits or inclinations are in order.
They don’t like going to “940”
I’ll tell you right up front, the place scares me.
Once inside, you have no difficulty knowing you are in a jail. I always thought it was a clean, well-kept jail, but every much a jail.
I’ve seen the food being prepared. Reasonable food, but not a whole lot to look forward to.
The exercise area is an area in which one can exercise. Not play ball or other recreational activities, just exercise.
I didn’t get any sense it was inhumane. I received plenty of signals time there would be burdensome.
I definitely didn’t want to go back, even to visit.
Now I’m not telling inmates not to write letters to The Post and keep pushing the 940 envelope so to speak, but I’m noting the above points won’t gain much public sympathy or action.
I would hardily endorse my personal opinion – determine to stay away from that place.
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If Hannah Montana is really Billy Ray Cyrus’ daughter, why doesn’t she have a mullet?
•••
This isn’t about politics but culture.
When was the last time a political campaign stop in the United States drew a crowd of 200,000?
Not a war protest, or tax protest, or abortion protest, or a farmers’ protest.
Just a political campaign stop.
Some 200,000 Germans showed up for a Barack Obama appearance in Berlin. And, they can’t even vote for the guy, or against him.
Is it us or them?
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