To the editor:

Recently, the Journal-World published an article about a proposal going before the Douglas County commissioners asking that inmates of the Douglas County Jail be charged for medical care.

Commissioner Jere McElhaney was quoted as saying “That’s part of paying their debt to society.” Many of the inmates in the Douglas County jail have not been convicted of breaking any law; many inmates are stuck in jail simply because they do not have the means to post bail. We live in a country where we pride ourselves on a justice system which holds people are “innocent until proven guilty.” How can people who have not been found guilty of any wrongdoing be “paying their debt to society”?

Most people in jail have no income and must look for their support from their families. Charging inmates for medical services is going to burden their already struggling families. Inmates will not be the only ones to suffer if a fee is charged to see a doctor or a dentist.

Keeping prisoners in jail is the punishment. They are “paying their debt to society” by being locked up. Charging them for medical care goes above and beyond their paying any sort of debt.

Chantel C. Guidry,

Lawrence