In this episode, Jailhouse Overcrowding-The Lighter side of Incarceration-The Contrast Project Lounge Podcast-Season 4-Episode 2
I want to talk about prison and jailhouse overcrowding in this episode. Overcrowding of our prison system and jail system has been a problem for decades. It has literally been a problem for decades. And it made me think recently about our local systems in Northeast Florida, Clay County jail, specifically.
“The Clay County Jail is so full of inmates that some are sleeping on mattresses on floors, while others are in temporary bedding in offices after staff was moved out. The current inmate population is approaching almost 91% of capacity, making the jail in Green Cove Springs officially overcrowded.Mar 23, 2023” Jacksonville Today
‘We’ve got to expand:’ Clay County sheriff says more jail space needed as area grows.
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and the Board of County Commissioners discussed potential plans for a new campus-style jail and law enforcement complex to address the Clay County Jail’s projected overcrowding.
“Clay County has deals with neighboring jails in Duval, Putnam, St. Johns, Baker and Bradford counties to help with the overflow, but those counties have their own problems with overcrowding and COVID-19. Currently, Putnam is the only county that occasionally accepts prisoners from Clay – and it comes for a $60 a day charge.” Clay Today Online * https://www.claytodayonline.com/stori…
** The lighter Side of Incarceration
* Three hots and a cot. Two warm trays with some sloppy looking thick brown granular slag that is warm, lukewarm at best. And there may be an occasional piece of mystery meat thrown in there just for shits and giggles, I suppose. And a piece of stale bread.
* You soon realize that one of the most important things you’re going to learn, or going to have to learn how to do, is barter. Bartering is a way of life behind bars. Everything. And I mean anything and everything.
* The number one traded commodity in that system that I could tell, I would say the number one commodity is ramen noodles. That’s right, ramen noodles. They’re like solid gold in the bartering system, behind bars.
* Okay, now, one of the happy days of the week, one of the happy days in the cell block is commissary day. Of course, that’s when everybody stocks up on ramen noodles. That night, the night that everybody gets their commissary supply, their cantina supply, When they get their supply, that night, it’s like Jubilee.
* Second to being released, the happiest day that I saw on the unit, it was the day that they delivered new uniforms. And when I say new uniforms, I’m talking about brand new, it’s just been bought, not stuff from the laundry room.
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