AL Sheriff arrested for Skimping on Prisoners food

[AntonLee]

DECATUR, Ala. — A federal judge ordered an Alabama sheriff locked up in his own jail Wednesday after holding him in contempt for failing to adequately feed inmates while profiting from the skimpy meals.

U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon had court security arrest Morgan County Sheriff Greg Bartlett after dramatic testimony from skinny prisoners about paper-thin bologna and cold grits. The hearing offered a rare look into Alabama's unusual practice of letting sheriffs pocket money left over from feeding inmates.

The sheriff, who showed no emotion when his arrest was ordered, had testified that he legally kept as personal income about $212,000 over three years with surplus meal money but denied that inmates were improperly fed.
Clemon, however, said the sheriff would be jailed until he comes up with a plan to provide the 300 jail inmates with nutrionally adequate meals, as required by a 2001 court order.

Defense attorney Donald Rhea said Wednesday night that he faxed Clemon a proposal and hopes Bartlett will be quickly released. The sheriff had no comment as he was led from the courtroom.

Clemon said the Alabama law allowing sheriffs to take home surplus meal money is "probably unconstitutional," but his ruling was limited to the finding that the court order was violated. It didn't address whether the law should be overturned.
"He makes money by failing to spend the allocated funds for food for inmates," Clemon said.

An attorney representing the inmates, Melanie Velez of the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, called Clemon's order to take the sheriff into custody "extraodinary." She said she was shocked to learn how much meal money Bartlett was taking home.
Sheriffs in 55 of Alabama's 67 counties operate under the system allowing them to make money operating their jail kitchens. The law pays sheriffs $1.75 a day for each prisoner they house and lets the elected officers pocket any profit they can generate.
The law doesn't require the leftover money to be spent at the jail or within the department; sheriffs can keep it as personal income. They historically have provided little information about profits under the practice that dates back to the Depression.
At the hearing, 10 prisoners told Clemon meals are so small that they're forced to buy snacks from a for-profit store the jailers operate. Most of the inmates appeared thin, with baggy jail coveralls hanging off their frames.

Some testified they spent hundreds of dollars a month at the store, which Bartlett said generates profits used for training and equipment.

Inmates told of getting half an egg, a spoonful of oatmeal and one piece of toast most days at their 3 a.m. daily breakfast. Lunch is usually a handful of chips and two sandwiches with barely enough peanut butter to taste.
"It looks like it was sprayed on with an aerosol can," testified Demetrius Hines, adding he's lost at least 35 pounds in five months since his arrest on drug charges.

Most prisoners said they supplement the meals by spending $20 a week or more on chips, oatmeal pies and other junk food at the jailhouse store.

But Sheriff Bartlett testified that he monitors the jail kitchen and occasionally eats there. He said he's certain he's meeting nutrition requirements under the settlement of a federal lawsuit regarding conditions at the jail.
Two nutritionists testifying on behalf of the sheriff said the jailhouse menu was proper, and they said some prisoners gain weight in jail.
Bartlett said he made about $95,000 last year feeding inmates after also receiving money from the county and the U.S. government for housing federal prisoners. Despite rising food costs, Bartlett said he made a $62,000 profit in 2007 and $55,000 in 2006.
Bartlett said he uses donations and special deals to make money. As an example, Bartlett said he and a neighboring sheriff recently split the $1,000 cost for an 18-wheeler full of corn dogs.

Prisoners testified they ate corn dogs twice a day for weeks.
Prisoners said they are almost always hungry after meals in the Morgan County jail, but the head of the Alabama Sheriff's Association said such a complaint is common around the state.

"You're never going to be able to satisfy them," said Bobby Timmons, the executive director of the association.

[Pat McCotter]

That's AL not AZ! I thought Joe Arpaio had been arrested! Damn!

[dalebert]

That's AL not AZ! I thought Joe Arpaio had been arrested! Damn!

Exactly my thoughts. 

[AntonLee]

I'm a dumbass, fixed.

[Puke]

That's one retarded policy right there.
Do the wardens also get a bonus for every tooth knocked out?

Fucking stupid.

[coffeeseven]

Just heard on Chicago AM radio the judge on the case let the sheriff out after one day with a promise from the sheriff that the food would improve. I'm writing a letter to Ed Brown right now.

"Dear Ed,

Quick apologize and promise to do better in the future. I'll pick you up at the gate"

[AntonLee]

I'm curious how long each of these prisoners are going to spend in 'quiet rooms' or whatnot.  They might get tortured, but at least they'll get fed.

[Tom Sawyer]

They have an unusually large prison recently built there. And from personal experience I know the cops in that city to be complete assholes. Nice small city with very aggressive cops.

[coffeeseven]

I was just reading one of the follow up stories.http://www.enewscourier.com/columns/local_story_012085937.html It says that it IS legal for the sheriff to pocket the change if he spends less that the $1.75 per inmate per day allotment. He made $100,000 per year for six years by scrimping on 58 cents a meal????

WTF???

[Pat McCotter]

As well as the profits in the jail store because the inmates are hungry.

[ColdSoul]

I know in California they have very strict rules regarding the nutrition/meals for juvenile inmates. One thing is they would require the following:

(e)   Calories. The average daily caloric allowances shall be as follows: 2200 calories for females 11 to 18 years of age; 2500 to 3000 calories for males 11 to 18 years of age. 

I will say that even with the 2,500 calories that were provided for both males and females to ensure compliance with the regulations most of the juveniles lost weight due to the 2 hours of exercise they are also required to be provided each day. I had for a few bigger juveniles tried to get the facility to provide a extra snack but I was turned down.

Now for adults I just looked and adult inmates in california have the same guidelines for meals:

(d) Meals. Inmates in disciplinary detention shall be fed the
same meal and ration as is provided for general population
inmates. Meals served shall supply approximately 2500 calories
per day.

It appears Alabama has no such guidelines to calories on the books there only stipulation is:

The purpose of this regulation is to:
1. Establish policy, organization, responsibility and procedures for food service
administration throughout the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC).
2. Ensure each inmate is provided a wholesome and nutritious diet, which meets nationally
recommended dietary allowances (RDA), prepared under sanitary conditions and served
in an appetizing manner.
3. Serve as a reference for efficient operation of food service in all facilities.

So according to RDA they need the following (which lists no minimum calorie intake)

Females   Males      Females   Males
Protein   46 g   56 g    Folacin   400 µg   same
Vitamin A (retinol)   700 µg*   900 µg*    Biotin   30 µg (AI)   same
Thiamine (Vitamin B1)   1.1 mg   1.2 mg    Calcium   1000 mg (AI)   same
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)   1.1 mg   1.3 mg    Phosphorus   700 mg   same
Niacin (Vitamin B3)   14 mg   16 mg    Selenium   55 µg   same
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)   5 mg (AI)   same    Iron   18 mg   8 mg
Vitamin B6   1.3 mg   same    Zinc   8 mg   11 mg
Vitamin B12   2.4 µg   same    Magnesium   310 mg   400 mg
Vitamin C   75 mg*    90 mg*    Iodine   150 µg   same
Vitamin D   5 µg (AI)**   same    Fluoride   3 mg (AI)   4 mg (AI)
Vitamin E   15 mg**   same    Linoleic acid   12 g (AI)   17 g (AI)
Vitamin K   90 µg (AI)   120 µg    ?-Linolenic acid   1.1 g (AI)   1.6 g (AI)

So he must have been a real bastard to not even fulfill those requirements.