jinman
Rest in Peace
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- Feb 23, 2001
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- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
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I'm not sure this link will work, but here is a link to the newspaper story that prompted me to write a letter to the editor. I just felt insulted that at Christmas time they would give front page coverage and another whole page to this criminal who deserves to be exactly where he is. My letter to the editor is at the end of this post. Am I lacking in Christmas Spirit? I don't think so.
Here's the story link.
An excerpt from the story is below in in case the link does not work.
By Brandon Evans | Published Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Several Christmas cards stand propped open on the upper level of a narrow, metal bunk bed.
Itç—´ tucked away in the corner of cell housing 10 other inmates. Other items, including a box of crackers and toiletries, line the shelf, but none are as important to 32-year-old Joey South as the cards sent to him from his family on the outside.
BEHIND THE GLASS Joey South talks to his 13-year-old son Trevor during a visit at the jail last Saturday. Messenger photo by Joe Duty
展hat makes your time a little more at ease is having a family that still loves you, unconditionally, South said. 鉄ome of these people in here they aren稚 that blessed. Or some of them have made choices where their family just can稚 deal with them no more.
In the middle of the cell stands a small green Christmas tree made out of paper. His wife, Gingi, spent several hours crafting it so he could have his own tree in his cell.
South feels fortunate to have family in his corner despite having made some bad choices. He was arrested nine months ago and charged with numerous gun thefts, use of a stolen credit card, burglary and possession of K2, a synthetic version of marijuana. He was on parole, so the felony charges landed him back in jail as he awaits a trial. He admits to the credit card abuse and drug possession, but denies the gun theft.
A native of Bridgeport who was raised in Chico and attended school in Decatur, South has family and friends all over Wise County.
Heç—´ a large, strong man, with a chest like a barrel and hands as big as frying pans. He works out every day. Despite his size, heç—´ soft-spoken and careful with his words.
å…¸he thing about Joey is if you pass him in the hallway and ask how heç—´ doing, he always says heç—´ blessed, said Wise County Jail administrator Rick Denney. æ»´eç—´ big enough he could cause some problems if he wanted to. Heç—´ not like some of the other guys who just kick their door every day, yelling and screaming, causing the staff problems that we have to deal with on a regular basis.ç´�/I]
My letter to the editor is below:
As a new subscriber to the WCM, I am extremely disappointed by Brandon Evans's story regarding repeat criminal Joey South. Mr. South's incarceration is completely of his own doing. I have no sympathy for him or his current wife who chose to marry a man whose "stripes" were evident. He is charged with stolen firearm possession, using stolen credit cards, and numerous narcotics violations. If there is anything evident, it is that this man cannot control his life, the people he associates with, or his temptation to steal from honest hardworking people. Sure, it's a shame that his children suffer, but what of the children of his victims? If Mr. South wants to see who is responsible for his family's suffering, he only has to gaze into the mirror. Indeed, he made bad decisions. He's a big dangerous man who can terrorize when he is free and out of control. Life in jail seems to agree with him. He is clean and able to engage in self-examination with a sober mind. He is an ideal citizen in jail because his life is structured in a way he could not do for himself.
Jails are full of people who make bad decisions. Criminals are jailed to protect the public from repeat offenders like Mr. South. I wish him only well and that he can gain enough self-control to become a productive member of society. In the meantime, I wish the WCM would spend more time giving us stories about people who are unfortunate due to no fault of their own. These are people who need a hand up rather than a handout. Especially at Christmas time, we need to hear more about them. Had Mr. Evans's story have been about the suffering of Mr. South's family, I could surely be more sympathetic.
Jim Inman,
Sunset, TX
Here's the story link.
An excerpt from the story is below in in case the link does not work.
By Brandon Evans | Published Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Several Christmas cards stand propped open on the upper level of a narrow, metal bunk bed.
Itç—´ tucked away in the corner of cell housing 10 other inmates. Other items, including a box of crackers and toiletries, line the shelf, but none are as important to 32-year-old Joey South as the cards sent to him from his family on the outside.
BEHIND THE GLASS Joey South talks to his 13-year-old son Trevor during a visit at the jail last Saturday. Messenger photo by Joe Duty
展hat makes your time a little more at ease is having a family that still loves you, unconditionally, South said. 鉄ome of these people in here they aren稚 that blessed. Or some of them have made choices where their family just can稚 deal with them no more.
In the middle of the cell stands a small green Christmas tree made out of paper. His wife, Gingi, spent several hours crafting it so he could have his own tree in his cell.
South feels fortunate to have family in his corner despite having made some bad choices. He was arrested nine months ago and charged with numerous gun thefts, use of a stolen credit card, burglary and possession of K2, a synthetic version of marijuana. He was on parole, so the felony charges landed him back in jail as he awaits a trial. He admits to the credit card abuse and drug possession, but denies the gun theft.
A native of Bridgeport who was raised in Chico and attended school in Decatur, South has family and friends all over Wise County.
Heç—´ a large, strong man, with a chest like a barrel and hands as big as frying pans. He works out every day. Despite his size, heç—´ soft-spoken and careful with his words.
å…¸he thing about Joey is if you pass him in the hallway and ask how heç—´ doing, he always says heç—´ blessed, said Wise County Jail administrator Rick Denney. æ»´eç—´ big enough he could cause some problems if he wanted to. Heç—´ not like some of the other guys who just kick their door every day, yelling and screaming, causing the staff problems that we have to deal with on a regular basis.ç´�/I]
My letter to the editor is below:
As a new subscriber to the WCM, I am extremely disappointed by Brandon Evans's story regarding repeat criminal Joey South. Mr. South's incarceration is completely of his own doing. I have no sympathy for him or his current wife who chose to marry a man whose "stripes" were evident. He is charged with stolen firearm possession, using stolen credit cards, and numerous narcotics violations. If there is anything evident, it is that this man cannot control his life, the people he associates with, or his temptation to steal from honest hardworking people. Sure, it's a shame that his children suffer, but what of the children of his victims? If Mr. South wants to see who is responsible for his family's suffering, he only has to gaze into the mirror. Indeed, he made bad decisions. He's a big dangerous man who can terrorize when he is free and out of control. Life in jail seems to agree with him. He is clean and able to engage in self-examination with a sober mind. He is an ideal citizen in jail because his life is structured in a way he could not do for himself.
Jails are full of people who make bad decisions. Criminals are jailed to protect the public from repeat offenders like Mr. South. I wish him only well and that he can gain enough self-control to become a productive member of society. In the meantime, I wish the WCM would spend more time giving us stories about people who are unfortunate due to no fault of their own. These are people who need a hand up rather than a handout. Especially at Christmas time, we need to hear more about them. Had Mr. Evans's story have been about the suffering of Mr. South's family, I could surely be more sympathetic.
Jim Inman,
Sunset, TX
