This article was originally published in ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1390354
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1390354
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Such an horrific report. And the fucking judge will almost certainly be re-elected. This is a microcosm of what is wrong with our justice system.
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Words fail.
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It makes me want to vomit.
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Not just the justice department, justice generally.
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As Josh says, this is like the book Holes.
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Worse, since they’re younger kids. I feel traumatized just reading about this.
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Small, rural counties are often governed by a small elite and probably skew culturally more often than we suspect; “rube” is not a unified idea. The skew can also be oppressive and unjust as it is in this case. Pretty much what you would expect in the absence of an overarching authority dedicated to actively protecting human rights.
An ideal libertarian society would leave the vast majority of people feeling profoundly constrained in many ways. This is because the freedom of the individual can be curtailed not only by the government, but by a large variety of intermediate powers like work bosses, neighborhood associations, self-organized ethnic movements, organized religions, tough violent men, or social conventions. – Noah Smith
NB: In the case of this TN county, the jail policy mainly effected minorities but poor white children were incarcerated too since the primary driver of the policy was not simply racism, it was revenue; i.e., the county charges $175 a day for each kid they jail and they advertise their facilities to other counties as well to improve cash flow. This was no damned secret.
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Possum Holler, doing its thing.
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This is what happens when right wing Christians get total political power.
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And this hasn’t been brought to the attention of the DoJ’s Civil Rights division… why?
I mean, shit, they’re even violating state law. They’re definitely violating the civil rights of both kids and parents with this shit.
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Is there a TLDR (i.e., summary) on this? Or could someone please write one?
Great reporting, etc., but I don’t have time to read it.
I’m really interested, but when I stepped to the end, I didn’t see what is going to happen next. What are the feds saying, for example, about what they will and will not do next?
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Take the time.
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tl;dr:
The State of Tennessee has laws and safeguards in place to try to make sure their justice system does not horribly scar children for life by slapping handcuffs on them and hauling them away to jail on bullshit charges that aren’t even actual crimes.
Rutherford County, TN, has a Juvenile Court system in place to make sure they are, and it’s been run by 1 Judge for 20 years, who has more or less personally appointed all of the people who should be acting as checks on her authority, sees herself as some fucking twisted Granny Goodness figure, and needs to be locked up for the rest of her natural life for what she’s done to kids for so long, some of her victims… are parents of other victims.
But yes, take the time.
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Also take the time to contact Rutherford County government and the chamber of commerce and share your thoughts.
I’m sure they are anxious to know our opinions.
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“…fails to make a reasonable effort to prevent commission of the offense.”
The Tennessee definition of “reasonable” seems to be irrational.
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Or at least, the definition in Rutherford. After all, the rest of the state isn’t combing through law books to find obscure laws to charge nine-year olds as part of their business model to generate a fucking ‘profit center’.
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Putting the fear of the devil into innocent children.
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Rutherford County isn’t “rural”. Murfreesboro TN
It is the 5th most populated county in the state (just outside of Nashville)
I am not surprised in the slightest. It is Tennessee’s version of Florida Man. They are always making the news for the wrong reasons.
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This is absolutely horrifying. These women that ‘thought’ they were ‘teaching respect’ should be taught a few things. THEY are the ones that should be in jail.
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