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| Broken Elevator Keeps Texas Jail Inmates, Families Apart |
| By Corpus Christi Caller Times |
| Published: 12/16/2002 |
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Rafaela Sanchez knew when she arrived for her weekly visit with her 32-year-old son at the Nueces County Jail last week that she would be turned away, but she and her husband, Frank, drove there anyway so they could see for themselves. Clutching a tissue in one hand, Sanchez walked up the wooden ramp to the jail's door and stopped to read a sign posted on the door. Visiting hours had been canceled for inmates whose cells were on the east side of the jail because the public access elevator had broken down. 'My heart is broken because it's the only time I get to see my son,' she said, tears welling up in her eyes. 'He broke the law and he's going to do the time but why punish me?' Jail officials said there was nothing they could do. The part had been ordered after the elevator stopped working and was expected to arrive leaving plenty of time to fix it before visiting hours began on Saturday. The part didn't arrive, but was expected in a few days, Sheriff Larry Olivarez said. A freight elevator and stairs are available in that wing, but taking the public up either way would create a security hazard, Olivarez said. There are 750 to 800 inmates at the jail. |
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