Some Commissioners Are Just The Sheriff's Puppets

From:
The Florida Times-Union
July 18, 2007
Camden County Commission tables plan for use of inmates
By Gordon Jackson, The Times-Union

KINGSLAND - The Camden County Commission was asked Tuesday night to enter into an agreement to establish guidelines for the use of inmates performing work outside the Camden County Jail.
The proposal, submitted by Commissioner Charlene Sears, an employee of the Sheriff's Office, gave specific uses for trusties in the community.
The proposal asks for "low security inmates" to clean public buildings, build and refurbish church and cemetery buildings, construct access ramps for people with disabilities, respond to natural disasters and "build, refurbish and maintain private for-profit projects and special projects as presented by the Sheriff's Office."
Commissioner Steve Berry said he opposed the proposal, which he said was written by the Sheriff's Office. He questioned why commissioners would want to endorse a program currently being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the National Park Service.
"Why in the world would you want us to be captain of the Titanic?" he asked. "It says we [the Sheriff's Office] can do anything we want. I know it's illegal. You're telling me it's legal to work on private property for profit."
Commissioner David Rainer, however, defended the proposal and accused Berry of "grandstanding."
"The issue is not who wrote the document," he said. "I'm not concerned with who wrote it."
County Attorney Brent Green recommended commissioners table the proposal until more guidelines are added. He said some of the suggestions may be in violation of state law.
"You cannot enter into a memorandum of understanding to violate the law of Georgia," Green said.
Commissioners voted 4-1 to table the issue. Berry cast the dissenting vote.
The program allowing inmates to work in the community has been under fire in recent months since a jail trusty escaped from a work detail on Sept. 14, forcing the shutdown of an elementary school and a day-care center for the day.
Two days later, a trusty was hospitalized after he crashed a personal watercraft owned by the Sheriff's Office into a dock. Sheriff Bill Smith told elected officials he took responsibility for the incident but never explained why witnesses said three inmates at the accident scene were unsupervised.
Most recently, the inmate program received more scrutiny when trusties were seen working on private property on Cumberland Island without a building permit.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the National Park Service have separate ongoing investigations to determine if anything improper was done with inmate labor on the island.
Sears said that under the proposal, the intent of some inmate labor would be for reparations for crimes inmates may have committed in the community.
Sears said only a "small group of people" has expressed concerns about the management of the trusty program.
She said if the Sheriff's Office doesn't follow the proposed guidelines, commissioners could send a letter of complaint to Smith.
Berry described the trusty program as a "total failure that most likely has risen to criminal activity" and called for the suspension of the trusty program until ongoing investigations are completed.
"You can withhold all funding until it can be proven the inmate program can be run under the law," Berry said.
Mary Ann Seaman of St. Marys, a former campaign manager for Smith, told the commissioners she supported the trusty program and wanted to see it continued. She said inmates will wash cars if the cars are taken to the jail and could provide other services.
"I see a lot of good in the trusty program," she said.

gordon.jackson@jacksonville.com,
(912) 729-3672

TRSP Review: Why would this proposal would be illegal? I can guarantee the ACLU would be all over the inmates working at churches. Churches already are tax exempt and the ACLU believes in this separation of church and state. Not that I agree with that, but the Supreme Court does.

And now this comment by Charlene Sears: only a "small group of people" has expressed concerns about the management of the trusty program.

What county do you live in. Do you have any clue that the majority of Camden County would vote to recall the Sheriff mainly because of the way he is running this program. And please don't go by my poll, the Tribune ran a similar poll and it was overwhelming in favor of getting rid of Smith. You are out of touch with the people in this county. Maybe if you would get your nose out of the Sheriff's butt you could see what was going on.

And Mary Ann Seaman:
I am still waiting to hear those good news stories you have that the Tribune has not run yet. Where are they? I did not expect anything less than Slick Willie has not done wrong. If the inmates are washing cars for the public, what does that say to those who own carwash's out in town? Sorry but I get an inmate to do it so you can just go out of business. Way to look out for the small business owner. Maybe you should work for the St. Mary's Chamber of Commerce.

Well except for lying in court, giving Trusty's beer, allowing Chua on Internet and so and so.