My Enlightening Trip to Jail

[Tangerine]

unfortunately, last year i had to spend some time in jail. i had a confrontation with a police officer after he tased my dog and ended up spending 45 days in the clink for battery on a leo (please don't judge;it was a mistake and i know it was stupid). while i was there, i was astonished and saddened at just how big a problem drugs are for society and the individual. almost every woman there was in because of drugs. alot had actual drug charges like possession but most had charges like prostitution, robbery, uttering, fraud, etc. in an attempt to get money for drugs. one woman was in for arson; she had been evicted from her house and out of anger toward her landlord, she burned it down. this woman was deaf and i was the only one there who knew (limited) sign language. she told me she never would have done it if she had not been drunk and high (she's now serving just 2 years). but, i have to say, in jail all of these women were clean and it became clear to me from talking with them that most of them were very good ppl. very good ppl with drug problems. my eyes became opened to the devastating effects of drugs and to the fact that addicts are NOT throw-away ppl. what can be done to help these women who so desperately want out of the downward spiral? i know that ultimately they have to help themselves, but what doors should be opened for them? or what should the system do differently? personally, i have no idea. all i know is that they need (and most of them want...) help. btw if your wondering what the other 3-5 percent of women were in for it seemed to be 'jealously over a man.' the woman who slept in the bunk next to mine had been charged with attempted murder for stabbing the female who was sleeping with her boyfriend. i followed her case and she's now serving 10 years. (i was the only one there because of a dog, lol.;) ) although this was a very enlightening experience, it was equally as horrifying. jail is no place i ever wish to be again, so try to avoid it if it all possible, lol. thanks for listening. this is something that has plauged my mind for over a year. i have been a member for a few months but have rarely posted. please dont criticize me too much; you'll scare me away from posting again, lol.

[Inletwatcher]

Tang, I applaud you ! I am sorry for the time in jail, but I will say to you that if my dog got tased...well...ummm I think you did good girl. I think the cop with a license to tase is a mistake, misused much too often. There have been people dying from it being used upon them. Lucky for that cop it was you and your dog, and not me and my blind over-protecting dog named Chance.

[Tangerine]

hi inlet. thanks for the support! actually, someone in a town about 45 mins from where i live died yesterday after being tased. the family is outraged. actually, i'm glad the cop only tased my dog. he could have shot her. so i am glad that cops sometimes have that option. however, i did warn him that he should back up because he was about to be bitten. he didnt listen. my dog was having a bad month; about two weeks before this happened she got struck by lightening:eek: she's a tough little cattle dog!

[Charon]

You beat up a cop??? Hahahahahaha! I use to be one and let me tell you, if you if you've done that to me I would have kept very very quiet. That spineless ass probably deserved it. You go girl! But try not to get caught next time.:D

[Wichita]

I respect you for accepting responsibility for your actions. I also understand the courage it takes to tell total strangers about your situation. Having worked in a jail for six years, I agree that getting off drugs and alcohol would do more for the individuals personally, and for the culture vicariously, than any other single change. As a society, however, we simply cannot agree on the best way to accomplish it. Some say harsh punishment. Others say education and treatment. Some say first offenders are the only ones who deserve a chance. Others say it doesn't matter how many times they offend, we should not throw them into prison. My experience with these folks is that they do very well in a controlled environment. Most of them simply don't have the strength of character to withstand the temptation, unsupervised. It is a complicated problem, with no simple solution. Good post.

[Wichita]

Two months ago in a town near mine, a man involved in a domestic violence incident with his wife went to a liquor store for more booze. He took his ax handle with him, and when the clerk refused to sell to him because he was already drunk, he threatened the clerk with the bludgeon. The clerk called 911. The man's wife arrived ahead of the cops, and he refused to leave with her saying, "When the cops get here, I'm going to make the shoot me!" Sure enough, when the cops arrived, the man charged out of the store at one of the officers, swing the bludgeon and yelling, "I'm going to kill you!" While the one officer had his weapon pointed at the man, and was backing away, another officer used his taser to disable the subject. He saved the subject's life. He saved the officer from being forced to use deadly force, and he saved the employer of the officers potential law suits for wrongful death, regardless of how legal the shooting would have been under the circumstances. I'm glad the officers were licensed taser operators. JMO.

[Wichita]

Were you forced to quit, or did you get fired?

[Tangerine]

You beat up a cop??? Hahahahahaha! I use to be one and let me tell you, if you if you've done that to me I would have kept very very quiet. That spineless ass probably deserved it. You go girl! But try not to get caught next time.:D

lol, charon. i didnt really beat him up. i hit him once then he tased me, too. it didnt knock me out or even knock me down, though. i think since he had just used it on my dog, it wasnt working at full power. it did however hurt like hell and it left burn marks on the top of my arm. he also did not take me to the hospital as, i learned later, is protocol.

[Tangerine]

[QUOTE=Wichita;9008680]. It is a complicated problem, with no simple solution. QUOTE]

exactly wichita! thats why i was interested in hearing what others had to say about it. ppl always say, "oh, she has to hit rock bottom first before she'll do anything about her problem." it seems like living on the street and selling my body would be below rock bottom for me. but yet so many live that way. sad, indeed. and as i told inlet. i'm glad the cop had the taser and did not shoot my dog (of course, i dont think he had the right to do either, but thats me). tasers have saved lives in the US.

[Wichita]

Tasers have also been abused by overzealous cops, too. Many jurisdictions won't issue them to their officers for that reason. Time will tell whether they will be allowed if the complaints of abuse continue to grow. At any rate, I am glad you survived your situation with as good an attitude as you seem to have, and judging by your Avatar, the culprit seems to be doing fine as well.... : )