Washington County Jail may have just received a 100 percent compliance rating from state inspectors, but the mother of an inmate complained Wednesday to the prison board about his treatment.
Linda Smith of Charleroi, mother of Matthew Smith, 30, said she was removed from her son's list of visitors without her knowledge or consent.
The mother said she was at first told by jail personnel, "This is not a country club," but then learned she was taken off the visitors' list because she had been victimized by her son's crime.
She said her son used her vehicle without her permission during a cocaine-fueled binge. Next month, he is expected to finish serving a 23- to 46-month sentence for aggravated assault.
Smith also complained about her son losing clothing, books and personal items. A book on yoga was denied him because it depicted a woman exercising in leotards, photos which were determined to be too revealing.
She said the yoga poses were modest when compared with "almost naked girls" that inmates are permitted to watch on television.
Smith said her son was placed in a special housing unit for two months after a confrontation with another inmate. Her son became covered with sores and lost 10 to 15 pounds. She was unhappy with medical treatment he received.
Warden Joe Pelzer said after the prison board meeting, "We've been dealing with Linda Smith for a long time now. Her son has major issues, and we're trying to accommodate his needs."
Commission Chairman Larry Maggi, who also chairs the prison board, had asked Pelzer to look into the matters Smith raised.
"I didn't hear anything that made me feel we were doing anything wrong," Maggi said after the meeting.