Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has a budget problem. Claiming concern about having to make job cuts in a tough economy or to provide luxury items to inmates, this prison reformer took the path of least resistance. Problem is, to Sheriff Judd, “luxury items” include jail-provided underwear. Seems the prison uniform includes the proviso of “going commando” for the male inmates. Female guests face no such concern and are provided free undergarments and the reason for the different treatment is a tad unclear. Maybe Sheriff Judd is teaching the value of smooth panty lines. In any event, the foundation-free policy is saving his budget $45,000.00 or as Judd puts it “$45,000.00 is one person’s job we’re saving. If inmates want to wear underwear in jail, they can buy it, just like hard working Polk County citizens do.” Lest you think Judd a throwback to the days of Les Miserables, you should know that entrepreneurship is alive and well at the Polk County jail. Briefs can be purchased for $2.54 and boxers for a mere $4.48. And to avoid the tedious chore of having to inspect the skivvies for weapons, male inmates may not bring in their own underwear. No word yet on two for one sales, or if other “luxuries” like tooth brushes and toilet paper will become items offered for purchase at the jail.
Judd’s new policy is right in line with other creative jail reforms he’s instituted, like the necessity or removing basketball goals during Christmas time so the inmates have more time to do push ups and sit ups. Judd also instituted a two dollar a day “subsistence fee” to offset the cost of providing the food the inmates receive again to “honor” the hard-working men and women of Polk County — not those slackers mind you.
Seems taking away a citizen’s freedom isn’t enough for one Florida sheriff, as those under his care are entitled to neither support nor dignity. Should make for an interesting 14th and 8th Amendment case for the local federal district court.
Source: UPI; Florida Sun Sentinel
~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
I am a fellow atheist and have had run in after run in with her and although she loves to keep saying she is for gay marriage , she is one of the biggest homophobes I have ever met . In my oppion Ellenbeth Wachs is a shyster and a hoodwink and this is coming from a fellow atheist.
GO CASEY!
some of you are leaving out the fact that casey told lie after lie which cost the taxpayers undue hundreds of thousands. had she told the truth from the beginning then none of this would be happening. had she not lied about her daughter being with a babysitter! had she not lied about who the father was! had she not lied about how and when the child lied. then all the money spent in overtime and for searches etc could have gone for other things. so trying to equate her case with this one is a misnomer
Bully for him. He is the Sheriff and should be able to decide what they wear. I am pleased to no end that that bitch got arrested. She should go to jail.
“our” above sb “your”.
John Kiefer, I followed our link and found out that EllenBeth Wachs is suing the sheriff, good. I hope she wins. He is using his office harass and punish her for exercising her rights. He needs some time in his own jail. What a piece of work he is.
at 2.54 for tighty whities and 4.48 for boxers somebodies gonna be making a bit of change. wonder whose pocket that goes to.
Just another kiss-up. Those being kissed-uped to will reward him with votes but they ain’t ever goin’ to let him marry into the family.
Thanks, John. Grady fits the religious zealot template to a T.
It’s funny that Sheriff Judd is trying to save money with underwear when a few months ago he authorized the use of the sheriff department’s credit card and jail personnel to transfer (and install) tax-payer property (jail basketball goals) to eight area churches in a politically motivated ‘Christmas’ public relations stunt.
And shortly after a church/state separation activist resident of his county (EllenBeth Wachs) challenged his actions and issued FOIA requests for information about his expenditures surrounding his PR event, Judd sent over a dozen of his deputies, in SWAT tactical gear, to her home arrested and jailed her and had her home searched and personal items and documents seized. Why? Because Ms. Wachs, a retired attorney, had used the letters “Esq.” (an honorific used by both practicing and retired attorneys) after her name on those FOIA requests to the sheriff!
But this wouldn’t be her last visit by Judd’s deputies or to his jail. Several weeks later, SWAT deputies again dragged her from her home and arrested her on another trumped-up felony charge. For this she would spend a week in solitary confinement until a new bail was set.
See more … http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-christian-sheriff-to-stop-persecuting-atheist
“Mike S. Isn’t the current request to have Cayley Anthony pay for her trial costs, when found not guilty a similar enterprise?”
There is also enterprise in the courtroom for innocent court watchers.
Case in point was in court with one of my sons for a traffic ticket,I forgot my cell phone was on and it went off,I had to pay $50.00 to get my phone back.I tryed talking to the court clerk,got no sympathy.Told me the same thing happened to him,and he works in that courtroom everyday.
“Forfeiture laws are a good example of illustrating your point also Mike”.
LK,
You’re right about forfeiture laws and it is why I’m not a fan of RICO, which is now used in ways not intended, at least in overt statements, by its’ creators. Naturally, I’m not a fan of criminal behavior, nor behavior that harms others, but those charged with creating and upholding the law seem to believe they could never be negatively affected by it. It is people’s total moral certainty that galls me. While I’m quite passionate about the things I believe in, I’ve seen enough of life to know that there is little any of us can be absolutely certain of being always true. That’s not moral relativism, but the recognition that we are an infinitely small part of an infinitely big cosmos.
Mike S. Isn’t the current request to have Cayley Anthony pay for her trial costs, when found not guilty a similar enterprise?
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Yes, emphatically YES! I used to have great respect for the law and the courts that administer it. The law isn’t justice but generally was a solid framework to try to achieve it. Now? Now it seems to have devolved to a level of pettiness in it’s execution so that I don’t even recognise it anymore.
Forfeiture laws are a good example of illustrating your point also Mike.
Mike S.,
In War, it does not matter who is right or wrong….only who is left….