Thank you so much for writing this letter. (Located Here) I can’t express how well it sums up what a disaster that place is. I recently had to spend a few days in jail there for a silly warrant from over five years ago. Let me say that I expect jail to be nothing of luxury or comfort; I understand it’s meant to be essentially a punishment. On the other hand, I do expect to still be treated in a humane fashion since I am afterall a human being and this is America, not a third-world country. However, the conditions in this jail was reminiscent of stories I had read about Siberian gulags of Soviet Russia. I was raised to respect authority, and I made sure to be nothing but respectful and obedient to all the guards at the jail. However, when I was first brought into booking, I was met by guards who weren’t just stern and militant as expected, but were downright rude and insulting. After I was booked, I was then stuck in a cell in booking. This cell was designed to hold maybe six people at the most for an hour or two or two people long-term. Instead I spent the next 24 hours packed into that cell with ten other men. It was difficult to breathe and there was no room to walk around. There of course was also no room to lay down at all to sleep. This time was like torture. When I was finally booked into regular housing, things only slightly improved. I was given a few toiletries, but was shocked to find out that (unlike most jails) you’re not offered deodorant. As one can well imagine when you have sixty-something men packed into a poorly-ventilated room, the smell was horrible. I also wanted to find out certain basic details about the charge on which I was being detained which nobody seemed to be able to tell me. The officer instead yelled at me for asking and informed me that I’m not allowed to ask questions. There is a certain medication which I have had to take my whole life for certain health issues I have always had. In booking, I informed the nurse who took my vitals about the need for this medication. I was assured that I would be provided this medication. I never received this medication once despite constantly submitting kites and asking the medical staff about it when they came. While not having that medication caused me a lot of suffering, I was happy that my life doesn’t depend on those meds. Would they have just let me die if it was a life-threatening condition for which I needed medication? During the time, my father came to visit me. He commented on how he was blown away at how rude the staff at the front counter were. He used the term “bitch” which is a term he NEVER uses. Since this horrible experience, I have gone to visit people in there a time or two. I went through the exact same experience this letter describes. In college, I minored essentially in corrections. I interned in several different jails. I know for one that not all jails are like this. I also know what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter. And trust me, there really is no excuse for the way the staff treats people there. Computer problems are one thing, but that doesn’t mean I should be treated like I’m ruining their lives. Afterall, I AM the one who pays them as a taxpayer. I would love to find out if the Sheriff responded to this letter, and if so, what he said.
Tyler
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Who is … Beau Babka?
