LAKEPORT >> The KPFZ radio station, which airs “Tales of Prisons and Jails” on Sundays and which has a different format than its original call-in format, “Radio Jail” had programmers take the initiative to attract supporters with a rally at Museum Park on Monday in the hopes of bringing back the program’s previous format at a future date.
About 10 people eventually arrived during the course of the late morning assembly. The program’s current host, Eugenie Steinman said the rally was intended to get the broadcast to revert so people can phone the radio station and can air comments aimed at inmates to offer them encouragement from family and friends of those incarcerated.
“All of these things could be available for inmates to hear; it keeps them from being ostracized and close to family, so they know someone cares,” Steinman said. “Inmates can hear messages from family broadcast from KPFZ. But the Sheriff’s Office took it off because they said of a coded message went through and won’t run it ”
The program intended to help inmate family members who cannot afford to visit inmates in jail maintain a communication connection.
“All they had was to make a local call to KPFZ and have access to loved ones.,” Steinman said. “It’s a one-way communication, the inmates do not speak, the only voices heard are the family and friends of inmates who KPFZ puts on the air. Inmates have radios so they tune in to 88.1 FM to hear it on Sundays, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Steinman admitted she has not spoken to the new incoming Sheriff, Luke Bingham regarding the matter. She did talk to outgoing Sheriff’ Rob Howe a couple of months ago she recalled, but he did not favor reviving the program, she said. “But I’m very anxious to talk to the new Sheriff, (Luke Bingham). I don’t know what his idea is. I’m hoping and praying he’ll be in favor of allowing Radio Jail again. I’m planning to call the Sheriff’s Office and hopefully meet with him. I met with the former Sheriff (Brian Martin) and he was very happy with Radio Jail. I’m hoping the new sheriff will feel that way too. There’s no reason to think he won’t.”
Verge Belanger brought a homemade placard to the rally and recalled he had been involved with KPFZ for 10 years. “For people in jail, to get things from their kids…. ‘Dad, we miss you; ‘we’re making something for you’ this means so much,” he said. “Eugenie makes Radio Jail full of heart. It really gets back to what we’re all looking for: community- to bring back the village and Radio Jail is an essential part of that.”
He went on to state that people who go into jail don’t have anything (to sustain themselves) “So, we’re hoping radio goes back into the jail.”
Lynda Simmons, was a former inmate, arrested on Driving Under the Influence charges. “I had no money, no way to contact family; Radio Jail was the only way my daughter could have (to communicate) with me, ” Simmons said. She then showed off a homemade sign she brought with her. It was filled with butterflies and in block letters made the appeal, ‘Bring back Radio Jail.’ “The entire cell block came and found me, because my daughter was on Radio Jall,” she recalled. “That really saved me; it was a very beautiful moment for both of us.”
Simmons was incarcerated in 2013 for 10 days. But she was arrested again in 2023, but this time she was in for three months. “You can’t call anybody if you don’t have money,” she said. “So, the radio was a great avenue for your loved ones to get to you. Radio Jail was a way to hear your family’s voice so, it’s a very necessary thing.”
Scoot Snapper (aka Flipper) noted he was at the rally to support Eugenie. “I was on the air for 10 years, mostly doing political commentary …and before that I as on PEG TV in Clearlake,” he said. “One of the mission statements of Radio Jail is compassion. That’s the biggest problem, a lot of people aren’t compassionate and aren’t giving.”
Shannon Lee O’Hagan has been an inmate and a loved one reaching out. She explained Radio Jail gives people inspiration and something to carry them through the next week. “For loved ones, it put a smile on our families’ face and that means the world to us,” she said. “It gives the inmates a way to know they’re loved and not forgotten about.”
