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Court: Jails can't charge inmates for medical care, haircuts
By adamg on Tue, 01/05/2010 - 12:42pm
The Supreme Judicial Court ruled today that Bristol County can't charge inmates for basic necessities.
In a ruling that cites the history of sheriffs dating to Roman times, the state's highest court said that just because state law doesn't enumerate just what it is a sheriff is supposed to do doesn't mean Sheriff Thomas Hodgson can do whatever he wants. Although common law dating back hundreds of years requires sheriffs to provide custodial care of prisoners, nothing in it grants him the right to levy fees against those under his care, the court ruled.
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Comments
I was under the impression
I was under the impression that hundreds of years ago, families had to bring food to prisoners to keep them from starving. I seriously doubt that British prisons hundreds of years ago paid for haircuts, much less medical care.
I think....
... you are thinking of debtors prisons. Prisoners in criminal confinement weren't necessarily treated well -- but they didn't pay for their own imprisonment.
laughable
If the commonwealth wants to put people in jail against their will for nonsense crimes, like anything drug related, they should have to pay exorbitant fees to care for these people.