TV, telephones, Canteen, meals, exercise, medical care – is that a jail or a spa?
While this has been suggested by some people in the past, most of the people who have been confined in the jail would disagree. Prior to the official jail opening, one unit was opened to allow county residents and others to try out a night in jail – no one we talked to expressed an interest in spending their vacations here. While many of the basic “comforts” of home are provided including television, telephones, games, books, and a small recreation area, all are considered privileges and tools in Washington County’s direct supervision philosophy. Most inmates are locked in their cells for 13 hours a day as part of the normal lockdown schedule. While meals do not consist of the colloquial bread and water, they are still not “haute cuisine”. Most meals consist of standard cafeteria fare served up on insulated trays in set portions designed to provide proper nutrition and caloric intake. Under the direct supervision philosophy, jail inmates are treated as much like you and I would like to
