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As attorneys, lawmakers and state officials went round and round over lawsuits and motions regarding the condition of West Virginia's correctional facilities, an important question was raised. Why don't legislators have first-hand knowledge to work with?
It's impossible not to wonder why our elected officials are finding it so difficult to see inside the state's jails and prisons for themselves.
When state Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, rightly asked former commissioner of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Betsy Jividen about conditions inside the facilities, he was blocked.
"You were commissioner for a number of years," Barrett told her. "What were the conditions like then and how did that affect inmates and their re-entry ... can you talk about the conditions while you were commissioner and how that related to the inmates?"
Before Jividen could answer, Delegate David Kelly, R-Tyler, stopped her from answering.
"We're going to keep these questions tailored for this presentation," Kelly said. "We're not going to go back in time."
What? Just how are lawmakers supposed to make necessary reforms and provide the proper resources if they are being intentionally kept in the dark?
Surely those who could provide funding to improve conditions understand how suspicious the stonewalling appears.
And, surely they understand the conclusions that will be made should they leave details about state facilities up to the imagination of taxpayers. Could it be that what corrections has to hide is worth that risk? If the answer is no, DCR and other officials must open facilities' doors to lawmakers and others, immediately.