JAIL: Let the light shine bright

My husband and I are very glad to see that you are covering the Kootenai County Jail and the scandalous conditions under which it is run. Several years ago, my brother-in-law called me and asked me for some help dealing with his son. Isaiah had spent six years in Orofino, during which time his mental health had deteriorated. When he came home, he was a mess. We tried to get him help again and again. Then, he took the ferry to Alaska. He was arrested because he got into a fight. It was the best thing that ever happened to him. He was diagnosed as a paranoid-schizophrenic and sent to Spokane, to a wonderful place, the Carlyle House. He got medication and regular treatment and a place to live.

Then, one day, his father got a call saying that Isaiah had been arrested and sent to the Kootenai County Jail. Isaiah’s father called me (I’m his aunt by marriage but Isaiah and I were always friendly) and said, “Help me out. Let’s drive over to the jail and find out why he was arrested.”

When we got to the jail it was no use. We encountered Telmate. You have to swipe your driver’s license through a computer. We couldn’t make it work. We tried for 30 minutes. Also KCJ has no one at the front desk. No one to ask for help. Finally we gave up and left.

We went home and called a dozen numbers. No use. We tried calling the public defender’s office. We got snowed. After three or four days of BS we did the only thing we could: We sold his truck and bailed him out. We still were unable to find out who his lawyer was. We also found out that during the 10 days he was in jail, he was denied the medications for his mental illness.

The day of his trial, we finally met Isaiah’s lawyer. Neither his lawyer nor the judge knew anything about him or us. They assumed I was his mother. They said to us, “Mr. ****, we are releasing you to the custody of your mother and father because you have family support.” We never got the $1,000 back that we paid to bail him out. The bail bond company we used are bloodsuckers. Telmate is a ripoff, and it doesn’t work. When sick people are incarcerated, they are denied care. Why is there no one at the front desk at Kootenai County Jail?

BETSY ROSENBERG

Rathdrum