Warrant issued for former Bill Clinton chief of staff

[aps]

So this woman who worked for Bill Clinton smuggled the following into a jail:

Betsey Wright allegedly smuggled a red Doritos bag containing 48 tattoo needles, a pen with tweezers and a needle inside, a Swiss Army knife and a box cutter into the Varner Unit, a high-security state prison in Grady, Arkansas, according to the bench warrant.

Warrant issued for former Bill Clinton chief of staff - CNN.com

Listen to her attorney's response to the prosecution of this crime:

"We are very disappointed the prosecutor has chosen to issue charges."

Jesus Christ. Are you kidding me? She smuggles in needles, a knife, and a box cutter (which cutter was used on 9-11), and the prosecutor is supposed to look the other way? Good for the prosecutor. Had charges not been made, I would be pissed. I hope she's in deep doo doo. Stupid bitch.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

Tattoo needles I couldn't give a damn less about, except that she's smuggling them.

The knives? That's a serious security violation and could very well lead to the deaths of other inmates. They should be prosecuting her to the fullest extent of their ability to do so.

 

[Orion]

I fail to see why the fact this woman worked for Bill Clinton is relevant, as if this is supposed to be some sort of reflection of his character?

I was only alarmed when I read the part about the knife. The rest is inconsequential. Smuggling it in with a doritos bag is silly though.

 

[aps]

I fail to see why the fact this woman worked for Bill Clinton is relevant, as if this is supposed to be some sort of reflection of his character?

I was only alarmed when I read the part about the knife. The rest is inconsequential. Smuggling it in with a doritos bag is silly though.

It's not relevant (her having worked for Bill Clinton)--it makes her more interesting since she worked for a former prez.

Dudes, why don't you think smuggling needles is a problem?

 

[Orion]

Dudes, why don't you think smuggling needles is a problem?

It's a problem, but tattoo needles have one obvious use. Yeah they could theoretically be used as a weapon, but if someone is going to the trouble of smuggling in something so specific, they are likely just using it for art. Tattoo artists can be fairly successful in prison while avoiding the drug trade and gang wars.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

Dudes, why don't you think smuggling needles is a problem?

Tattoo needle's a lousy weapon and as far as I know cannot be repurposed for drug use. Only real reason that I can see to prevent them from coming into the prison is that many if not most prison tattoos are gang-related and that might be one way of clamping down on the gang activity.

Otherwise, it's like sneaking them porn or cigarettes. She should be nailed for the smuggling, but I don't particularly care that the inmates got them.

 

[CoachPoly]

In addition to the gang promoting

Tattooing in prison presents great risks for blood borne virus (BBV) transmission. Inmates illicitly perform the action with homemade, unsterile, and shared equipment. When they are released they then share those BBV. The sharing and poor cleaning efforts (due the illicit nature) would quickly void efforts to improve equipment quality if that was Betsey's intent. I suspect she would have known that however being a Prisoner Advocate.

In my mind there is only one difference in the devices (in a prison setting) she provided, each in their way can cause death, one just takes longer. Accordingly all the smuggled items should be deemed weaponry.

One possibility\motivation for Betsey's actions could be threats of harm to family members if the materials were not provide.

 

[aps]

In addition to the gang promoting

Tattooing in prison presents great risks for blood borne virus (BBV) transmission. Inmates illicitly perform the action with homemade, unsterile, and shared equipment. When they are released they then share those BBV. The sharing and poor cleaning efforts (due the illicit nature) would quickly void efforts to improve equipment quality if that was Betsey's intent. I suspect she would have known that however.

In my mind there is only one difference in the devices (in a prison setting) she provided, each in their way can cause death, one just takes longer. Accordingly all the smuggled items should be deemed weaponry.

I agree. The needles is how diseases such as hepatitis and HIV get spread.

 

[stevenb]

I agree. The needles is how diseases such as hepatitis and HIV get spread.

The same happens at professional tattoo shops... Much like their "customers" the inmates have choices that they can make.. regarding whether or not they'd like to get a tattoo with a used needle that could infect them with any number of diseases.. (hep C being the most notorious).

The idea of coddling people for some what if befuddles me.

It is, however contraband at that prison, so she should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

 

[aps]

The same happens at professional tattoo shops... Much like their "customers" the inmates have choices that they can make.. regarding whether or not they'd like to get a tattoo with a used needle that could infect them with any number of diseases.. (hep C being the most notorious).

The idea of coddling people for some what if befuddles me.

It is, however contraband at that prison, so she should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

The difference, stevenb, is that I, as a taxpayer, don't want to pay for their treatment in jail for Hep and/or HIV. It's one thing if they enter jail with one or both of those.

 

[stevenb]

The difference, stevenb, is that I, as a taxpayer, don't want to pay for their treatment in jail for Hep and/or HIV. It's one thing if they enter jail with one or both of those.

This is one thing we can agree on, and one reason why I believe prison work forces should be created.

Prison inmates are perfectly capable of mowing yards, picking up trash on the side of the freeway, painting over graffiti, building fences / digging holes. Make them pay for their incarceration. Other than actual physical problems / health problems there are absolutely NO reasons why they cannot be forced to pay for their incarceration.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

There are all sorts of lovely and picturesque ways that diseases spread in prison-- a state of affairs that most people seem completely comfortable with, and even applaud as a vital function of the "rehabilitation" of prisoners. Perhaps if we spent more time and money on ensuring prisoner security, we wouldn't have to spend quite so much on their healthcare.

Then again, since so many prisons have been privatized now to cut costs, that would end up cutting into their bottom line.

 

[UtahBill]

There are all sorts of lovely and picturesque ways that diseases spread in prison-- a state of affairs that most people seem completely comfortable with, and even applaud as a vital function of the "rehabilitation" of prisoners. Perhaps if we spent more time and money on ensuring prisoner security, we wouldn't have to spend quite so much on their healthcare.

Then again, since so many prisons have been privatized now to cut costs, that would end up cutting into their bottom line.

Prisoners could be "self study" educated using closed circuit television, and pre-recorded lessons and correspondence courses similar to how the Navy used to teach me electronics back in 1965. That puts almost the entire responsibility on the prisoner.
Wonder if that has been tried?

Certainly allowing them to learn the "art" of tattooing isn't much of a career enhancing move...

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

That depends. Some of the best tattoo artists I know got their start in prison.

 

[CoachPoly]

Partial quote
........The idea of coddling people for some what if befuddles me.............
.

Perhaps I glossed over the communicable "transmittable" part or you inadvertently over-looked it Stevenb. By “coddling people” (I assume you meant inmates) and that has nothing to do with stopping the spread of disease to say: long-term kidney dialysis patients, health care workers after exposures (i.e., needle stick or splashes to the eye) to the blood of an infected person while on the job, infants born to HCV-infected (potentially rapped) mothers, un-intentional transfer\slashing of infectious blood products to vehicle accident victims and the list can go on and on of innocents impacted by these people. Coddle them? - no my friend - it is control them!

 

[stevenb]

Perhaps I glossed over the communicable "transmittable" part or you inadvertently over-looked it Stevenb. By “coddling people” (I assume you meant inmates) and that has nothing to do with stopping the spread of disease to say: long-term kidney dialysis patients, health care workers after exposures (i.e., needle stick or splashes to the eye) to the blood of an infected person while on the job, infants born to HCV-infected (potentially rapped) mothers, un-intentional transfer\slashing of infectious blood products to vehicle accident victims and the list can go on and on of innocents impacted by these people. Coddle them? - no my friend - it is control them!

The funny thing, you can get those very communicable diseases by going outside and interacting with society.

how do you propose we protect all those innocent people?

 

[CoachPoly]

You can't, I don't support we try - it would be invasive. But we have a better shot at controlling 7 million - after all that is what they are there for - to be controlled

 

[stevenb]

You can't. But we have a better shot at controlling 7 million - after all that is what they are there for - to be controlled

I had some very witty things to say.. but I've forgotten them.

Suffice to say, good luck controlling 7 million people with NOTHING to do and all the time in the world to mull over what they want to do.

 

[Orion]

I agree. The needles is how diseases such as hepatitis and HIV get spread.

Inmates are tested for both of these diseases before entering prison, and in the vast majority of institutions, if infected they are separated from the general population.

Local infection is possible with unhygienic needle use, but transmission of the kinds of diseases that street drug users could get are more rare in prison due to their medical policies.

All I'm saying is that there are worse things that could be smuggled into prison than tattoo needles, and I would rather inmates be doing art than getting caught up in the drug trade.