PRISONER'S LIFE NO DAY AT THE BEACH

Where does Stephen Stack ("Life imprisonment scant punishment," July 17)
get his information about how easy inmates have it in prison? Regular
visits to a correctional institution? Through research? What is his basis
of fact?

Mississippi inmates do not "routinely have access to drugs, sex, three
square meals a day and yes, cable TV."

What do I base my information on? Personal knowledge, as a family member of
an inmate that has been incarcerated in the Mississippi Department of
Corrections for almost 10 years and as founder and spokesperson of Inmate
Families of Mississippi.

An inmate should only have access to sex through conjugal visits with a
spouse, after providing a certified marriage license which has been
verified. Meals provided are one step above hog slop, and never square.
Though a TV is in the zones for all to watch, cable is certainly not
provided, and reception is poor.

In prior days, a personal TV could be provided by families of the inmate,
but now must be purchased from the internal canteen system, where a 13-inch
black and white model sells for twice more than does a large colored one in
the free world. That expense is also the responsibility of members of the
inmate's family, who send money to the inmate's personal account.

Who provides drugs that an inmate would have? Recently, several
correctional guards have been arrested for possession of illegal drugs that
were being taken onto the grounds. Draw your own conclusions on this one.

Fredna Hall

Inmate Families of Mississippi, Flowood