Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 2 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
Even telephone communications are complicated. Prisoners aren’t allowed long distance calls unless the calls are collect. The attorney, paid just a nominal fee for court-appointed work, must either absorb the cost of those collect calls or turn down the client’s request for consultation.
Prisoners incarcerated in Shenandoah, Albemarle and Prince William are miles away from family and friends. Often the accused are parties to a domestic dispute. Frequently, they are found innocent or charges against them are dropped before the case ever comes to trial. If they have to wait in jail, they deserve to be close to home, not in a strange town 50 miles away.
Supervisor Charles K. Estes said when the jail space problem first arose that it was time for Rappahannock to take care of its own rather than looking to others to carry the county’s responsibilities.
Virginia law gives the supervisors the responsibility for providing an adequate jail. The law doesn’t include a provision that the responsibility only applies if the state comes up with the money. In these tough financial times, it’s going to be hard to scrape together half the renovation costs from the general fund surplus, much less the entire $163,000. But we may have no choice.
The board ought to provide Circuit Court Judge Shore Robertson with the assurance he’s asked for: with or without assistance from the state, Rappahannock County will fulfill its legal obligation and provide an adequate jail for local prisoners.
97.4%