Saturday, January 16, 2010

Massachusetts Justice: The Brubaker of Massachusetts

He's a court now.

"SJC rejects fees imposed on inmates; Sheriff may have to repay $750,000" by Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff | January 6, 2010

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson had no right to impose a controversial $5 a day fee on inmates at the county jail for room and board, as well as additional charges for medical care and other services, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled yesterday.

I can't afford no more.

In a class action filed by inmates and pretrial detainees, the state’s highest court unanimously rejected Hodgson’s argument that English common law gave him such authority....

Ummm, we have a thing called the CONSTITUTION -- both state and federal -- that supercede English common law! Get your head out of the 16th century, sheriff!

Hodgson had touted the program as a way to instill a sense of responsibility among prisoners and to save taxpayers’ money.

So when do you go after the looting bankers and lying war-profiteers and war criminals, dude?

Yesterday, he said he was disappointed with the court’s ruling and would lobby the state Legislature to give sheriffs authority to collect such fees. “Look, having inmates come to prison and telling them that you don’t need to worry about the costs associated with running the prison is, I don’t think, a good message for them,’’ said Hodgson, who has been sheriff for more than 12 years.

Would SOMEONE please tell that to the JET-SETTING POLITICIANS!!!??

The ruling is expected to result in a court order requiring Hodgson to return about $750,000 to hundreds of current and former prisoners. He collected the fees from 2002 to 2004, when a lower court struck the policy down, and has since kept the funds in an escrow account. Attorney James R. Pingeon of the nonprofit Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services, who represented the inmates, was pleased the high court concluded Hodgson had overstepped his authority.

“The sheriff had been taking the law into his own hands, which, I think, teaches a bad lesson to prisoners who have broken the law,’’ he said. “We think that if the sheriff wants to teach responsibility to inmates, he should give them a job, he should educate them, he should treat their substance abuse issues. It’s not fair to ask prisoners to pay for their incarceration when they don’t have any money.’’

Yeah, but DON'T YOU DO IT, Amurka!!!

Pingeon said he has a list of hundreds of current and former prisoners who are likely to get refunds, some more than $1,000.

Hodgson’s “Inmate Financial Responsibility Program’’ imposed the $5 daily fee for “cost of care as well as other varying fees for services such as medical appointments ($5), prescription medicines ($3), haircuts or beard trims ($5), and GED tests ($12.50), according to the SJC.

The sheriff deducted the fees from prisoner accounts that were typically funded with contributions from relatives. Indigent prisoners were exempt....

Oh, so the family thinks it is sustaining the inmate and instead the sheriff is stealing it.

--more--"

FLASHBACK:

"Sheriff seeks to charge inmates $5 a day

A Massachusetts sheriff says jail inmates should pay for part of the cost of their incarceration.

Yeah, that SOUNDS GOOD except it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!

When you IMPRISON THEM you take on the RESPONSIBILITY for their NEEDS!!!

Making them PAY for their "HOUSING" is a from of SLAVERY and INDENTURED SERVITUDE!!!

Related: Texas Prison Protests

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson was to meet with state lawmakers yesterday to seek support for legislation that would allow him to charge $5 a day to inmates at the county's two jails. Representative Betty Poirier, a North Attleborough Republican, filed a bill at the request of Hodgson to allow the commissioner of corrections and the state's sheriffs to assess inmates with "reasonable fees." Hodgson told the Standard-Times of New Bedford it is unfair that victims of crime must pay the $35,000 annually it costs to house an inmate (AP)."

For what? Some NON-VIOLENT DRUG OFFENSE?

This as we CLOSE SCHOOLS and LAY-OFF TEACHERS!

Related: The Illegal Immigrant Imprisonment Industry

Yeah, he doesn't mind taking that cash either.

Also see:I'm just wondering why all those guns can't keep my personal information safe:
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