Jail workers’ sacrifice

I read with sadness the part-time, temporary nurse’s account of her experiences on the night shift at the jail in Connell. I would much rather have heard the many accounts from the long-term, full-time employees who work the day shift. They sacrificially serve in one of the most thankless and difficult jobs in this country. Can you imagine how difficult it is to go to jail everyday in order to earn a living? Work can be punishing for some, but working in a prison or jail must be like volunteering to be punished everyday. Who are these people, and what keeps them going?

Prisoners are some of the angriest and most violent people in the land; that’s why they’re locked up. The part-time, temporary nurse said the prisoners’ greatest fear was that they’d soil their clothes, and they only got laundry done once a week. I hope the prisoners’ biggest fear is that they would not reoffend. May their experience in jail have its intended affect.

Our streets and jails are filled with people who are mentally ill. The police and jail workers provide the first line of caring for a lot of people with mental health issues. If you get downtown much you’ve probably seen what I’ve seen. So, to the good guys, the ones who step up every day and face incredible danger but keep caring for our community, Thank You!

Jerry Bishop

Chattaroy