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One day out of 365 Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Audra Merrill, 28, left, and Ayla Nelson, 20, are serving time at the Jackson County Jail. While Nelson plans on being out before Christmas, Merrill isn't sure if she'll be able to spend the day with her family. If she's behind bars, it will be a day like any other in jail without celebration or decoration. For those inside the gray walls of the jail, Christmas brings regret, but not much more By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Sitting inside a detention pod with three other inmates, the thought of spending Christmas at the Jackson County Jail easily brings Audra Merrill to tears. "We wanted to go Christmas caroling. I wanted to see my kids," said the 28-year-old Medford resident. "It's definitely worth it to stay within the guidelines of the law." Inside the jail, Dec. 25 passes like any other day of the year. Inmates aren't allowed to decorate their cells or pods. They cannot receive presents and visitors aren't allowed on Christmas Day. Any break in routine compromises safety, and Lt. Jim Warren said no exceptions that may lead to disorder or potential crime can be made. It's just business as usual during any holiday, he added. "We give them a rope (to string up decorations) and they would hang each other. We don't put trees in there because they would burn them," Warren said. "There's no decorations, there's no party time. Except for the calendar, nothing changes." There have been no holiday celebrations in the jail for several years, Warren said. Twenty-year-old inmate Ayla Nelson of Ashland said she will be released before Christmas, but the thought of spending the holidays in jail can really wear a person down. "It all depends on how you look at it," Nelson said. "It's depressing, surrounded by cement walls." Jail officials asked that Merrill and Nelson's crimes not be published to avoid potential conflicts with their court cases. Inmates at the jail spend approximately 22 hours in their cells or pods daily. Visitors are allowed once a week on the weekends. They can make collect calls - up to 20 minutes at a time - from a phone inside their pods that is shared with other inmates. Prisoners can also watch television if bad behavior hasn't cost them that privilege. Inmates are allowed to leave their cells for meals, breaks or to do chores: laundry, kitchen work or cleaning. Warren said inmates are served a traditional holiday meal with turkey and all the trimmings on Christmas and New Year's. Warren said spending the holidays in jail is a hard fact for some to accept. "It's unfortunate, but for every one of those people sitting in there, there's a victim out there," he said. "It's a matter of perspective." Approximately 275 inmates spent last Christmas in jail. Warren expects to have that same number this year. Aside from safety reasons, Christmas isn't celebrated at the jail because it's a religious holiday. Warren said that if the county made exceptions for Christmas, they would be obligated to honor or allow prisoners to celebrate other religious events. Reporter Sarah Lemon contributed to this story. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.