It has been said that liberty and mercy go hand in hand. We had a police officer slam a girl’s face hard into the wall for dropping a tray in County Jail. She never filed a lawsuit, but this officer did get a lawsuit filed by another Adult in Custody (AIC). Another woman here was attacked by a police officer for taking too long in a public bathroom. She showed me the scar she got from the force he used with the handcuffs during her arrest. The officer did not press charges against her but the District Attorney did. They said she assaulted a police officer. I suspect that the DA’s in these types of cases pursue them just to make money, which is very sad because I know this lady has a young daughter and she would be much better off raising her daughter than spending time in prison.
While I was in Washington County Jail awaiting trial the Jail was under investigation for the use of force. I witnessed many examples of this and I am anxiously awaiting to hear the results, as I myself experienced this as well. There was also psychological and mental abuse for many of the ladies. I think a class action lawsuit in needed. Most women here have experienced long term hunger on some level, as have I. So when I see officials throwing away large quantities of food I think that is a form of psychological torture and abuse. Women should not be limited to one small portion of food, as many of them need more than that and do not have extra commissary money to buy more food.
There is a former police officer in prison here who previously repeatedly strangled his girlfriends and actually killed one of them. He is currently up to have his case dropped. Why is this excessive violence accepted by our society and the legal system? My abusive ex-husband also went on to become a police officer. I would like to know why policing and violence seem to go hand in hand.
There should be a system of checks and balances for the DA so they cannot randomly pursue petty or false cases for extra pay. These are lives we are talking about here, not just numbers. Many of the women I am meeting here also have young children or families to support and they deserve justice. I think many of these women would forego legal action if they were just treated with respect as human beings.