POOR POLICIES PACK PRISONS

It was sad, those inmates who died in the fire at the county jail in
Mitchell County. In response, our local sheriff is still talking about
overcrowding. The fact is, any jailer on duty has two choices in case of
fire - my life or the prisoner's life. He will choose his own life, because
jailers think inmates are no good.

Now, for the overcrowding. Jails are for violent people. If the system will
quit locking up bad-check writers, drug offenders and those who don't pay
child support, jails wouldn't be overcrowded. We don't need a new jail, we
need better authorities running the system.

Three out of four inmates are black. What does that tell you? Inmates are
in jail for months because the district attorneys in North Carolina keep
giving them new court dates. If we build a new jail, it won't be long
before we need another one.

This has got to stop. Spend the money addressing the problem. Half the
people in jail are there because of lack of money and trying to live in
this racist society.

Inmates can build furniture when they're locked up. Then, when they're free
and apply for a job, corporate people turn them down because they have a
record.

Everyone has done bad at one time - the police, the sheriff, the DA. The
only difference is they weren't caught. So use this money for prevention
programs.

MELVIN BROWN

N. Downing Street