HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
“What will you do if I bail you out for Christmas?” asked Daniel Lehner, owner of Inflight Newspapers, Inc. He was speaking to five inmates of the Nassau County (New York) Jail, continuing that prison’s tradition of bail money for Christmas. One accused of auto theft pledged to see a 3-year-old son. One accused of petty larceny wanted to see a sister to apologize for not being able to attend the annual Christmas family reunion. The burglar said he’d join Alcoholics Anonymous. The shoplifter promised to see two grandchildren and enter a half-way house. The one accused of breaking and entering intended to join the Navy and get married aboard ship. Back in the early 1970s, a developer named Sal Miglio started scraping together a few thousand dollars, even if he had to borrow it, to bail out prisoners accused of minor offenses. Miglio’s faith was repaid: In two decades only two prisoners failed to appear at their court dates —…
To view this resource, log in or sign up for a subscription plan
