Posted on 08/12/2007 7:00:21 PM PDT by Westlander
Oakland County officials looking for ways to fight jail overcrowding are being asked to consider a pilot program to provide tethers for low-income offenders.
"Only rich people get out?" asked Circuit Judge Steven N. Andrews, a member of the council. "Give me a break. That's not the way the justice system should work. Poor people should not fill up the jails."
Inmates pay about $500 a month to be on a tether in place of remaining in jail.
(Excerpt) Read more at clickondetroit.com ...
What is a tether?
What is the matter with a tent city?
It seems that several years ago the Micigan Dept. of Corrections approved a particular tether to be used in all CC probation / parole offices. Guess what, the head of the dept a the time owned a large share of the company. I don’t recall who it was. It came to light, and I think the bum got promoted somewhere else in the state of Michigan.
“What is a tether?”
Something to restrain an infant or an animal—oh, and now rapists and killers.
Hey, gotta make room for those pot-growers.
On the one hand, if you break the law, you may go to jail. On the other hand, there’s plenty that is against the law but shouldn’t be.
It’s a plan by the State of Michigan Gov’t to balance the budget.
You get the prisoners out of prison, and you get them to pay for the bracelet. Simple, see?
It's a new leash on life.
I know a kid who’s in Oakland County Jail right now for his 3rd DUI. He’s only 21. They’re working his butt off and making him actually spend time thinking about why he’s there. He’s got about 2 months left. It might actually turn out to be good for him. For him a tether is a lousy idea.
‘Inhumane treatment’ in a Michigan Winter.
Oakland County is where all the rich auto executives live. I wonder why they would have a jail problem?
I got one, I got one! It's a felony to carry a concealed gun in Illinois.
No reason in the world why they can’t use the Joe Arpaio solution: military surplus tents, surrounded with double chain link fence with concertina wire on top of it. Then use military surplus field kitchens, porta-potties, and swamp coolers when it is hot.
It costs just a fraction of what a “brick” jail does, can be put about anywhere, eliminates the need for *any* early release, and has *internationally* been determined to *not* be cruel or unusual punishment.
It has the added benefits of reducing overcrowding, which in turn eliminates a lot of the problems associated with jails, resulting in fewer fights and less guard abuse.
They have found out that you can put these camps up anywhere and they even take fewer guards than brick prisons, because you put the better behaved prisoners in the tents and leave the troublemakers in the brick prisons, with fewer inmates they can mess with.
There’s no need to overdo the punishment like Arpaio does, either. Inmates can be kept to the same standards that the rest of prisoners in that State are kept.
This model would be quite useful for easing overcrowding in prisons, but I don't see why it would need to be electrified.
Our justice system, which obviously includes our police departments, court houses, judges and such are all part of a system that is constantly feeding itself, constantly looking to protect its self sustaining bureaucracy first and foremost.....
Finding ways to keep nonviolent people out of jail cells makes sense - Find other, productive ways for them to pay the costs of their assumed crimes.....
When you figure how to keep criminals on the straight and narrow, market it. You are gonna be rich.
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