September 19, 2022 — Beaver, WV — On Monday evening, House of Delegates candidate Christian Martine spoke at Southern Regional Jail in Raleigh County following the death of Wyoming County inmate Alvis Shrewsbury.
Mr. Shrewsbury was being held at Southern Regional Jail after turning himself in for a DUI charge.
"Mr. Shrewsbury may have broken the law," Martine said, "but he did not deserve to die."
Southern Regional Jail and jails statewide are affected by staffing shortages.
"Corrections and rehabilitation institutions that are supposed to rehabilitate people back into society aren't staffed enough to keep officers or inmates safe," Martine said, "Many of the inmates have yet to have their day in court."
"I call on the Governor to call a special session of the legislature to evaluate funding and oversight for jails and other underfunded state services," Martine said, "Jails are understaffed and risking the lives of officers and inmates, schools have over 1,000 teacher openings risking the future of our children, and our infrastructure is crumbling."
"We have to do better," Martine said, "Human morality demands we protect the most vulnerable people in our society: our children, the elderly, and – as former Vice President Hubert Humphrey once said – 'those who are in the shadows of life.'"
Martine encourages people who have personally been impacted by conditions at the jail to share their stories at christian@christianmartine.com.
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Christian Martine is a candidate for the House of Delegates, 45th Delegate District.
Press contact: press@christianmartine.com • (304) 250-9106