An Oklahoma sheriff and all her deputies resigned together — and now no one knows who's in charge

[dawp]

https://www.businessinsider.com/okl...-in-nowata-county-over-jail-conditions-2019-3

if it's as described, this really disgusting but not all that surprising and it it makes ya wonder how many more are like this out there.
I'm glad she had the balls to think of how her prisoners are treated and bringing attention to the condition to the jail. maybe it'll get the budget increased. but then this is OK so the chances for that are pretty slim.

"Barnett said she promised to 'do the right thing' if elected, and we believe the sheriff followed through on that pledge — so did those who risked their livelihoods to do the same," the editorial board of the Muskogee Phoenix wrote. "Even with her own future in question, the sheriff's overriding concern was for the safety of the prisoners and best interests of the county to which she was elected [to] serve."

EDIT:
edited to remove the discussion tag, didn't think it was needed.

 

[Thebobo]

""I do not work for the judge," Barnett said on Monday. "The judge is an elected official. I am also an elected official. I do not believe that we live in a country where I can be ordered to go to work after I have already tendered my resignation.""

That lady and her deputies have some balls, good for them. Hopefully they clean up that shit and hire them all back.

 

[JSt0rm]

""I do not work for the judge," Barnett said on Monday. "The judge is an elected official. I am also an elected official. I do not believe that we live in a country where I can be ordered to go to work after I have already tendered my resignation.""

That lady and her deputies have some balls, good for them. Hopefully they clean up that shit and hire them all back.

im sure some psychopath is telling them he will do the job and cut the prison more.

 

[1sikbITCH]

I was reading comments on one of the reddit threads about this. Evidently, the jail pulls in about half the money for the town. It pays for the judges. If there are no prisoners in the jail there is no money coming in. This is what motivates the judge to order employees and prisoners back onto the premises even though it may kill the officers (not to mention the prisoners).
The stupid towns folks are siding with the judge over this. Shithole country.

 

[interchange]

I had a different imagination of things before reading the article. Although of course there can be more to this story, as of now I say major kudos to the Sheriff. I don't think it is legal for any authority to force a person to work in unsafe conditions. Clearly the inmates are being held appropriately at another facility, so there is no safety need for the community for the jail to open until it is safe.

Part of me also thinks we're missing something. Already employees are having hospital care for CO poisoning. If the conditions are as described, would not they be exposing themselves to massive liability to not address them? Granted, it's hard to sue the government, and part of me wonders if the whole system including civil court is corrupt thus effectively protecting them from civil liability as well.

If we had a reasonable President and DOJ, might they do something to intervene here even though it's not federal? Certainly there are federal regulations for workplace safety.

 

[whm1974]

If we had a reasonable President and DOJ, might they do something to intervene here even though it's not federal? Certainly there are federal regulations for workplace safety.

I think that there are both State and Federal regulations that cover jail conditions on top of those as well.

 

[Luna1968]

I was reading comments on one of the reddit threads about this. Evidently, the jail pulls in about half the money for the town. It pays for the judges. If there are no prisoners in the jail there is no money coming in. This is what motivates the judge to order employees and prisoners back onto the premises even though it may kill the officers (not to mention the prisoners).
The stupid towns folks are siding with the judge over this. Shithole country.

its a county jail. and the county is one of the poorest in OK. just 1 million a year budget.

 

[DrDoug]

Judging from the number of counties that states like Oklahoma have, the duplication of services has to be killing the people in that state. Here in Oregon we have 37 counties and a population of around 4.1 million. Oklahoma has 77 counties that serve a population of 3.9 million. If they can't afford proper jail facilities then the county should dissolve and be absorbed by the neighboring counties.

Good on the sheriff and her people for standing up and doing the right thing.

 

[Jhhnn]

its a county jail. and the county is one of the poorest in OK. just 1 million a year budget.

If you're gonna have a jail you gotta make sure you're not gassing the staff & the inmates. Fix the fucking furnace.

 

[Luna1968]

If you're gonna have a jail you gotta make sure you're not gassing the staff & the inmates. Fix the fucking furnace.

totally agree

 

[dawp]

this also highlights the fact that too many of these poor counties rely heavily on the jails to bring in revenue when the tax base wont support the county government, and then cut the taxes even more.

if you're going to have a functional government you had better be ready to tax at an appropriate level to support all government functions, not just the ones you think are needed and jails are not high on the priority list.

it'll take just one prisoner (or deputy for that matter) to die in custody due to the conditions highlighted in the article to kill any budget the county has left.

 

[dawp]

Judging from the number of counties that states like Oklahoma have, the duplication of services has to be killing the people in that state. Here in Oregon we have 37 counties and a population of around 4.1 million. Oklahoma has 77 counties that serve a population of 3.9 million. If they can't afford proper jail facilities then the county should dissolve and be absorbed by the neighboring counties.

Good on the sheriff and her people for standing up and doing the right thing.

another option is to consolidate services between several counties to pool their resources.

 

[DrDoug]

another option is to consolidate services between several counties to pool their resources.

That works too. What I hate to think about is the duplication of services that people in some states are stuck with. This NWS rain radar has the counties outlined in the states and more than a few states (especially they poorer ones) have a crapload of counties for the number of people in the state. I'm sure that it makes for a lot of public employees and jobs though...lol!

It just seems to be one hell of a waste.

 

[Brainonska511]

That works too. What I hate to think about is the duplication of services that people in some states are stuck with. This NWS rain radar has the counties outlined in the states and more than a few states (especially they poorer ones) have a crapload of counties for the number of people in the state. I'm sure that it makes for a lot of public employees and jobs though...lol!

It just seems to be one hell of a waste.

It also seems ripe for corruption, with every little county becoming a tiny fiefdom.

 

[Viper1j]

https://www.businessinsider.com/okl...-in-nowata-county-over-jail-conditions-2019-3

if it's as described, this really disgusting but not all that surprising and it it makes ya wonder how many more are like this out there.
I'm glad she had the balls to think of how her prisoners are treated and bringing attention to the condition to the jail. maybe it'll get the budget increased. but then this is OK so the chances for that are pretty slim.


EDIT:
edited to remove the discussion tag, didn't think it was needed.

She's a hero.

 

[Jhhnn]

It's what happens when we let the Jerb Creators have their way with us too much. They don't give a flying rat's ass about all of the forgotten people in America. If they did, it would be different, but it's not. The same sort of thing is happening all over the country in rural/ small town America. It's called smaller gubmint. It's called running the govt like a business & there's just no profit in those people, so fuck 'em. Better yet, convince 'em that big city Libruhls are threatening their way of life, out to get 'em, somehow. Get 'em goofy enough & they'll support spending to bomb people on the other side of the world rather than having it spent on them. Because reasons.

 

[dawp]

It's what happens when we let the Jerb Creators have their way with us too much. They don't give a flying rat's ass about all of the forgotten people in America. If they did, it would be different, but it's not. The same sort of thing is happening all over the country in rural/ small town America. It's called smaller gubmint. It's called running the govt like a business & there's just no profit in those people, so fuck 'em. Better yet, convince 'em that big city Libruhls are threatening their way of life, out to get 'em, somehow. Get 'em goofy enough & they'll support spending to bomb people on the other side of the world rather than having it spent on them. Because reasons.

except that's where the county make it's money, and rural county sheriffs are notorious for speed traps, asset seizures, among other things. that's why the judge tried to rescind her resignation, so they would continue to fund the county government through the jail.

seems to me the best option is to raise taxes so they can fund the county properly.