Jails post dishonor roll

America is bestowed with the “honor” of having more persons incarcerated than any other country. By 2050, at the current rate of incarcerating people, half of America will be in prison. A certain amount of awareness by its citizens should accompany that distinction.

On any given day in Spokane, there are approximately 700 men and women being held at Spokane County Jail. Each inmate is locked in a 6-by-14 cell for 22 hours a day, sometimes more. On the weekend, they are not let out of their cell from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. Social isolation is used in other facilities as punishment for misbehaving inmates.

At Spokane County Jail, where guards are paid $25 an hour or more, why are people subjected to what has been proven to be psychologically harmful? In addition, those in a cell at an exterior wall suffer through winter months with lack of climate control, some having to wear socks on their hands, staying buried under the thin and shredded blankets.

Standards and ordinances are being ignored. Innocent until proven guilty is a joke.

Citizens are blind to the dehumanizing going on in our country.

Not “honor,” but horror.

Deborah Simon

Spokane