A Look at Jessica Duran and her Nude Photo Problem

Life is difficult to start with; it becomes more difficult when a loved one is in jail. The mind even considers running away but the heart makes you stay for that very person. One does anything and everything to support, to help the life of the "inmate" bearable. Letters are regularity and sometimes have the latest photos of the life outside. And the news comes, that the very photos are being distributed among jailers instead of just reaching the loved one. Anyone would be outraged but it will be much more than just rage if the photos were of a nude wife sent to her husband in jail. This time the option will not be just "running away".

It must have been a horrifying experience for the woman initially, but now she is ready to take the fight to the County. She has asked the county to pay $ 100,000 through a Denver attorney, Lonn Heymann; the claim which the county Sheriff Stan Hilkey says is "ridiculous". The law suit is being prepared. Duran had already filed a complaint in August; the investigation followed was "completed and closed" according to the Sheriff's department spokeswoman Heather Benjamin.

There are two disturbing things in this.

One, why did Jessica Duran send such personal photos? Even if she never knew or thought that her personal letters will not be opened, sending such pictures, is an act of utter foolishness, atleast considering the type of world we are living in. Normal photos might just have served well to make the life in the lonely cell a bit manageable. We all need to understand that privacy is one of the "rare" species and nearing "extinction".

The other part is even more disturbing, it makes you think are the protectors becoming predators. It is fair and understandable that the in-coming mail opened for safety purpose but such photographs do not possess any threat to the jail or anyone in the jail either. This is a grave mistake on the part of the county official or officials involved and they need to be shown where they have gone wrong.

As far as the law suit is concerned, if filed, the issue of "opening" mail might not possess a threat to the county officials but the "distribution" might be a difficult thing to explain. When a approved procedure is followed, there is no problem but here the procedure was followed a bit more than it needed to be followed and thus the law might give Jessica a nod. The difficult thing to prove here will be the "distribution" part.

The question remains, though, what is the adequate amount for self-respect, humiliation and mental distress? The material loss is always easy to replenish but when it comes to the mind and body, will the bank balance make any difference? God help her if those photos find their way on the internet. I sincerely hope this does not happen.

References:

www.gjsentinel.com

www.postchronicle.com

en.wikipedia.org