American Friends Service Committee workers defend their investigatory letters concerning inmate treatment at the Cumberland County Jail.
To the Editor:
Regarding the recent article "Inmate advocates want investigation of county jail death, alleged abuse" in the South Jersey Times:
Our organization, the American Friends Service Committee Prison Watch Program,raised QUESTIONS about prisoner abuse claims at the Cumberland County Jail, and the most recent prisoner death at that jail.
We sent letters asking for investigations to the jail's warden, to the Cumberland County prosecutor, and to the state Division of Criminal Justice's Corruption and Government Fraud Bureau.
The allegations submitted to these officials were based on information provided by people in confinement, whose voices are often not heard or heeded.
Contrary to the response of Warden Bob Balicki as quoted in the article, the motivation for these letters did not arise from animus, but from sincere attempts to bolster the effectiveness of responsible authorities and improve conditions for jail prisoners and staff.
We believe that individual justice will be served by bringing the voices of prisoners and their families to official and public attention. It is also our experience that identifying correctional problems from the community furthers the goals of increasing badly needed resources and more effective corrections and human service systems.
Therefore, we see our colleagues and associated advocacy organizations as allies with wardens like Balicki, who understand the increased flow of people with mental illness to jails, and the need to divert them to treatment programs. But, until change is achieved, we must be particularly vigilant to ensure that the culture and conduct of correctional staff promote rehabilitation and prevent harm to those in confinement.
We must have law and order in our jails and prisons, as well as containment and zero tolerance for abuse.
Bonnie Kerness
Director
AFSC Prison Watch Program
Newark
Jean Ross
AFSC Volunteer
Princeton
'Jeers' to belated story about worker's plunge to death
To the Editor:
Concerning the June 25 "Cheers and Jeers" editorial item "(Jeers) to two weeks too late," regarding the resistance that njadvancemedia encountered in trying to confirm the June 5 on-the-job death of 25-year-old iron worker Walter Lenkowski III, who plunged from the Delair Bridge in Pennsauken:
"Jeers" to you is more appropriate! This is like then pot calling the kettle black. You point the finger at others, but it took you 16 days to write something besides a routine obituary. (Our first story about the violent death appeared June 21.)
How about a little investigation by your staff prior to showing contempt?
My thoughts are that this event most certainly should have been reported in detail by your paper right after it unfolded, as Lenkowski was a local young man.
Tom Hibbs
West Deptford Township
Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com