THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 3, 1995 TAG: 9412310009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
I was awed by the article ``Sheriff says humbug to presents for inmates'' (news, Dec. 23). It is hard to believe that someone with so much authority does not know how to use it.
I quote from Scrooge McCabe: ``These people in here are being taken care of. They've got housing'' (Oh, yes, sleeping on a mattress on the floor with no pillow and a blanket that only God knows when it was last cleaned and with no privacy is certainly not my idea of being taken care of) ``and they've got food.'' (Again, oh yes, I certainly believe bologna and cheese for lunch every day of the week, mushy potatoes and rice and baked bologna are really healthy foods.)
I know the inmates are in jail for a reason, but they are still human beings. Not everyone is a murderer, a rapist, a sex offender.
Some have not been convicted of anything and are awaiting trial; some are there for bad debts, others for traffic violations. These people have probably never harmed anyone in their lives, but according to McCabe, ``They don't deserve any Christmas bags.''
I certainly hope McCabe checks out other matters pertaining to ``our'' jail better than he did this one, not even knowing what is in the Christmas bags. I do hope the deputies have more compassion toward the inmates than McCabe does, but I doubt it.
I helped get this man elected in 1993, but the next time around, my vote, time and financial help will go to anyone but McCabe.
CYNTHIA DENNISON
Norfolk, Dec. 25, 1994 by CNB