Letter: Sheriff has work to do on jail conditions

Graphic by Lori Deaton

Thanks for the best issue in years on Nov. 27, featuring the hateful TDA and neighborhood fascists, corruption, suppression of public comment, but most of all, hunger and cold in the Buncombe jail [“On the Inside: Waiting for Justice in the Buncombe County Jail,Xpress].

Compared to hunger and cold amounting to torture, the rest of the jail criticisms seemed a bit like psychobabble to me. I suppose neurotypicals might need stuff like “vibes” and “eye contact,” but I’m politically isolated anyway, so I don’t see what difference that stuff makes, though they could use more free phone time.

Sheriff [Quentin] Miller still has a lot of work to do, as I remember his campaign was a bit weak on jail conditions.

— Alan Ditmore
Leicester

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “Letter: Sheriff has work to do on jail conditions

  1. J

    US penal system purposefully starves (fiscally) their jails also for tax conservation, but primarily so those will want to avoid being incarcerated… but with the ever widening socio-economic income gap… 3 hots and a cot is a much better option in an unsustainable fend for oneself economy

  2. bsummers

    When I spent the night in jail in 2003, the place was lousy with snitches. Have they cleaned that up yet?

  3. Mike R.

    Prisons should be bare essentials, no more. Prisoners should be required to work on public=related projects (litter, leaves, etc.).
    Prisons should not be a place people want to go back to.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.