RICHMOND —
This Christmas, around 270 inmates will celebrate the holidays in a jail cell at the Madison County Detention Center.
Local churches have been donating plates of cookies and bags of fruit to the inmates to make this time away from their families as easy as possible, said Jailer Doug Thomas. One church donated 300 cards and stamped envelopes that inmates can send to their loved ones.
"Especially at Christmas-time, everybody wants to be with their family — I feel the same way," Thomas said. "I try to do as much as we're allowed. But we can't do a whole lot because they are incarcerated.”
On Thursday, families of inmates can take advantage of a special no-appointment, 20-minute visitation any time between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Regular visitation will still be available on Tuesday (prisoners with last names that start with A-K) and Wednesday (prisoners with last names that start with L-Z), said Katie Tate, the jail's finance coordinator.
The jail kitchen staff plans to write a holiday message with red and green markers on each lunch bag served on Christmas day, Tate said. And some inmates in the past have used the ribbons from their cookie plates to decorate their cells, she said. “They've taped the ribbons to their windows — it's cute.”
A special hot dinner will be served on Christmas day with ham, mashed potatoes and all of the “holiday fixings,” Thomas said. A turkey dinner is served at Thanksgiving every year, as well.
Although some of the inmates handle the holiday well, he said, for some inmates, it can be very depressing.
“I tell my staff to keep an extra eye on some of the inmates at Christmas-time,” Thomas said, in fear that they may hurt themselves. Some feel they have neglected their families because of their incarceration, he said.
“We try to make their holiday the best we can,” the jailer said. “It's something I want to do, and I feel good about doing it.”
Crystal Wylie can be reached at cwylie@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 6696.
Crime
Christmas in jail
How the detention center rings in the holidays
- Crime
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Richmond burglary reports for May 14-18
Register Staff Report
The following burglaries, reported May 14-18, are being investigated by Richmond police
A resident of Wesley Court reported a Wilson bow with arrows and an unknown brand shotgun had been stolen from her residence sometime in the previous two weeks. Estimated loss: $800.
A resident of Foxhaven Drive repo -
Dry cleaner burglary suspect is charged in two other cases
A man charged Friday with breaking into Jack’s Cleaners on Water Street by smashing a window with a tire iron has been charged with two other burglaries in which a similar method was used to gain entry.
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Man arrested Friday after early morning break-in
Richmond police made an arrest Friday in connection with an early morning break-in at Jack’s Cleaners on West Water Street.
Scott Hobbs, 42, of McKee, was charged with first-degree burglary, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock
At 3:25 a.m., a witness reported seeing a man enter and exit the cleaners through a broken window and drive away, Brock stated in a news release. -
Grand jury indicts inmates in jail assault
Two inmates at the Madison County Detention Center were indicted Wednesday on charges related to the beating of another prisoner.
A Madison grand jury indicted 28-year-old Justin Morgan Howell and 26-year-old Lucas Wayne Shanks on charges of second-degree assault, second-degree escape and second-degree persistent felony offenders. -
Berea couple accused of chaining children into bedroom
A Berea couple was charged Wednesday after they admitted to using chains and ropes to lock four children into a room, according to Berea police.
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Passenger arrested on drug charges; driver flees
Berea police arrested 23-year-old Alaina Hammonds of Berea on drug charges after a May 8 traffic stop.
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Arrest made in theft of small safe from Madison Manor
Robert L. King, 37, was arrested May 14 and charged with second-degree burglary in connection with the April theft of a small safe at Madison Manor, according to Richmond police.
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Stabbing trial delayed until September
The trial date for a first-degree assault case has been pushed back yet again, this time because of an eight-month delay in receiving medical records.
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RPD: Woman threw wrench at man, hit back of woman’s head
An East Irvine Street woman was charged Monday with felony assault after she threw an adjustable wrench at a man but instead struck another woman in the head, according to a Richmond police report.
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Women indicted on meth-making charges
A Madison grand jury indicted two women last week on a charge of making methamphetamine in their Turpin Drive apartment.
Richmond police arrested Alison N. Sloas, 25, and Rebecca J. Henry, 38, after they received a complaint April 2 about a strong chemical odor in the neighborhood, according to an RPD news release. - More Crime Headlines
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Richmond burglary reports for May 14-18
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