vc318

Another week. Another topic.

This topic derives from an article I saw on msnbc.com this morning:

Alabama sheriffs feed inmates on $1.75 a day
80-year-old state law says top cop can keep proceeds from jail meal deals

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Back in the day of chain gangs, Alabama passed a law that gave sheriffs $1.75 a day to feed each prisoner in their jails, and the sheriffs got to pocket anything that was left over. More than 80 years later, most Alabama counties still operate under this system, with the same $1.75-a-day allowance, and some sheriffs are actually making money on top of their salaries.

But exactly how much is something of a mystery because state auditors do not have access to sheriffs' private accounts.

How could anyone turn a profit feeding men and women for an entire day on less than the price of a Coke and a bag of Fritos? Sheriffs practice Depression-style frugality and rely on such things as day-old bread, cut-rate vegetables and cheap inmate labor.

Critics charge that Alabama is, in effect, paying law enforcement to skimp on food and may be rewarding sheriffs for mistreating prisoners.

"It's a bad system, and it ought not be that way," said Buddy Sharpless, executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama.

'It is like powdered food'
A prisoner advocate said he constantly hears complaints about jail food.

"Most of it is like powdered food, and the portions are minimal in the county jails," said the Rev. Kenneth Glasgow, who visits Alabama jails to register prisoners to vote.

The few sheriffs who would discuss the arrangement defended it as cost-effective for their counties and disputed any suggestion they are making a lot of money.

"If you've got the most lucrative food account in the state, you're not getting rich," said Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely.

They noted, too, that it's not all gravy for them: The system makes them personally liable for budget shortfalls and, possibly, lawsuits over jail food.

Sheriff takes out personal loan
The head of the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, Ron Jones, said state auditors cannot determine how much some sheriffs are making off the system because the lawmen put the money in personal accounts.

In Morgan County, which includes Decatur, a state audit found that Sheriff Greg Bartlett spent $163,991 feeding inmates and personally received an additional $103,947 for two years ending in May 2005. But Jones said there was no way for auditors to determine how much of the money that went to the sheriff was profit, because sheriffs may be buying food out of their own pockets. Bartlett did not return calls for comment.

When Etowah County Sheriff James Hayes died in October, thousands of dollars in jail food money went to his estate because it was kept in his personal accounts.

His successor, Todd Entrekin, said he and his wife took out a personal loan for $150,000 the day he took office to purchase jail food until his first state payment came through.

"It's the most money I've ever borrowed in my life, even more than for my house," Entrekin said.

Feeding inmates on $1.75 a day? - Crime & courts - MSNBC.com

I didn't post the entire article but I have provided the link. So, what are your thoughts on this article and on how we as taxpayers lose money to take care of inmates overall?

Please post your thoughts.

sunnykerr

Are we talking in terms of providing them with semi-decent food here? Because, sure, I see no problem with them never seeing filet mignon ever again, but I do hope they're given... well, hospital food for the rest of one's life might be considered cruel and unusual punishment. But, you know, something edible. Maybe cafeteria food?

migamoo

Hospital food isn't that bad, Sunny. I guess it depends on the hospital though. But I digress. I don't have a problem with giving inmates decent food, but do I think they should be eating better than me? No. Alabama really needs to change this law because it is cruel. No one can really survive on that amount of money for food a day, and I'm surprised they are actually able to do it.

cls21c

The hospital I work at has good food.

I'd like to see them grow some of their own food. Of course, depending on the severity of their sentence, some of them may not be allowed that much freedome but the ones who are could.

ceilirose

Chiming in here - hospital food isn't really that bad anymore. I think they need a suitable diet but not anything that approximates fine dining. But I guess that's a given.

TheAngel

I don't see the problem with day old bread. I mean, I eat off the same loaf for a week or two. To be honest, as long as they're providing the adequate number of calories and the right amount of vitamins, say two fruits, two vegetables, and dairy every day as well as protein, then I see nothing wrong with giving them lower grade cuts of meat that may be a little tougher or vegetables that wouldn't end up on some five star restaurants plate. After all, we're talking about people in prison that have done something wrong and are being punished. It's not a hotel, or a spa, it's punishment. So no, I don't think they should have five star meals, but they should be given adequate nutrition to remain healthy. If the green beans are a little limp or the pork a bit freezer burned, as long as it doesn't make them sick I don't see anything wrong with it.

sunnykerr

Well, admitedly, it's been a while since I was last hospitalized. Although, if I recall, the cafeteria food of the hospital was demonstrably more taste-having than the bland stuff we got on the floors....

But I'll give the point, especially since that was my (evidently) very lame attempt at a joke.

As for prisoner treatment, I think there should be some sort of middle ground to be found between blatant abuse of power and living la doce vita behind bars. I know I'm a bit of lily-hearted treehugger, or however that goes, but I really would rather we aspire towards rehabilitating the prisoners as opposed to out and out punishing them. I'm not saying punishment isn't in order, but, in the cases where they'll re-enter society anyway, I do think it would be money better spent if they came out less dangerous than they went in, and not the other way around.

Mind you, I have no objection to prison guards doing whatever they have to do (this side of abusing their positions of authority) in order to do their jobs safely and efficiently. So, where that might enter in conflict with my ideal of rehabilitation, I say the guards have priority.

But, beyond that, I do wish prisons weren't graduate schools for criminals. And I think we, as a society, have our role to play in that.

vc318

Yes, inmates should be fed the basic three square meals a day but how do you all feel about tax dollars in general being used on taking care of inmates and paying for their trial and such?

Ali

I'm not sure about this subject... I just know that the over population of so many jails needs to change. It causes so many MORE problems than there are already are in the first place.

sunnykerr

I have absolutely zero problem with taxpayer dollars going towards maitaining decent living conditions in prisons.

For one thing, I believe in universal human rights, and criminals are still human beings. Just because they may have trashed their humanity doesn't mean the rest of us get to trash ours in treating them as anything less than human beings. How we treat prisoners (not in one-on-one setting, but as a group) is a reflection on who we are as a society. It has nothing to do with who they are or what they might have done.

Secondly, since some/most of them will re-enter society at some point, I believe rehabilitation should be the goal. I'm all for punishment of crimes, I'm all about actions having consequences, but I don't want a man or woman to come out of there more hardened or better equipped to commit more serious offenses. I know there are certain crimes where recividism is pretty much a given (anything with pedophiles comes to mind), but I also know that we can work on that. Sometimes. But even that is worth trying.

Finally, I want every effort possible made to protect the guards whose job it is to deal with these people. And that means ensuring that a basic minimum of decency is present in prisons. Rough prison conditions makes for rough prisoners, and that endangers the guards and makes their jobs needlessly harder than it ought to be.

Jen Jaree

I think over population is a contributor to bad prison conditons. I don't know what the cause of over-population is but I think at times were too quick to throw someone in jail. I personally think that drug crimes have the one of the harshest sentances (at least in the US) it seems that murder has a chance of parole where a drug dealer has no chance of parole. If someone was intoxicated at the crime well it depends what the crime was sometimes prison isn't the answer for them sometimes it's rehab or if someone has a mental illness sometimes the mental hospital or pyschratric help is the better option. I am not saying they shouldn't get any jail time just sometimes it's not only option.

As for the topic I believe they should get the 3 square meals a day and at the minimum basic health care and sanitary conditions. Terrible living conditions won't help them be rehabilitated and rejoin society but don't make it look like 5 star hotel either.

sunnykerr

I've never heard of a prison scandal on account of prisons being too much like a hotel.

And that's not me trying to make light of your point. I get your point. I agree with it.

But we all (me, included) talk about "as long as it's not like a five-star hotel" and it's a fair point. But, seriously, is that even a risk? Every story I've ever heard about prison conditions has been either about over-crowding or gangs and violence or bad conditions. Programs being cut, riots, etc.

Sharon den Adel

I can't see how someone can survive on $1.75 a day. What can you buy for that amount nowadays?

Inmates should not be eating better than us, but they should be given three meals a day, and those meals should be filling and nutritious.

welshgirlyUK

I cant say for where your from obviously, but from Britains point of view there is a massive amount of public anger at the 'hotel' conditions for prisoners. It actually brings to mind an article i got given to read in work the other day. It showed a picture of an extravagent new building with pictures of luxuy sofas and sitting area, a games room and really spacious cells with Sky televisions, playstations, Xboxes and i think there was a wii in the day room too, and CD players. It was a newly built prison.

I get your point about rehabilitation, but i dont see how a prisoner having constant access to more luxury items than a regular law abiding citizen is going to encourage them to follow a life on the straight and narrow. I haven't got the exact statistics right now, but i'm going to find them after i post this, but this country has been following a rehabilitation policy since the labour party came to govt and the amount of people re-offending has increased. It makes me question if rehabilitation over punishment actually works in the majority of cases. Rehabilitation is necessary i know, but we need to ensure that prisoners are still being punished for breaking the law aswell. Theirs a fine line and in Britain i think its been crossed.

edited to include statistics from the BBC website

Sharon den Adel

I don't think prison is actually as good as it's made out to be. We all know the media like to exaggerate, and I imagine that's exactly what they are doing when they report on the luxurious 'conditions' of a prison.
Sure, they may have a swimming pool and basketball court, but we can go swimming and play sport whenever we please. I don't see the big deal about a lot of things, and I certainly don't think inmates are treated as well as the media will have us believe.