Jail's food service chief says menu is restaurant-level, thanks to donated supplies
Originally published July 14, 2010 at 9:03 a.m., updated July 14, 2010 at 9:29 a.m.
Sgt. Dave Hisey watches the meal line as inmate Allen Gere loads plates of biscuits, gravy, chicken and fruit into a warming closet to be taken to the inmates for breakfast Tuesday morning.
Detained diners are a tough crowd: Beware the old curdled milk scam
WENATCHEE — Bugs, curdled milk and not enough coffee.
Sgt. Dave Hisey has heard them all.
“The biggest complaint is that we serve too many salads,” said the jail’s food service manager. “They think that’s not healthy.”
Another complaint is outdated milk, but when one of those comes in Hisey is skeptical. For one thing, the pull date is checked on every carton that goes out on a tray, he said. For another, drinking part of the milk out of a carton and then hiding it until it curdles is a well-known scam. It’s a ploy to get an extra milk.
Then there are the bugs in the salad.
Hisey is not sympathetic.
“You can’t avoid that,” he said. “Where do they think the bugs live? No matter how well you wash the lettuce, those suckers are really going to cling to it.”
When some inmates complain that there is not enough coffee, he shakes his head.
“My argument is there is no proven nutritional value in coffee,” he said.
And if inmates complain that the food doesn’t look good? Hisey is ready with personal experience. When he’s working, he samples a tray full of each meal served. And when he’s off duty, his staff stores a tray for him to visually inspect when he returns.
Hisey said meals are planned out to give inmates between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day. At minimum, he said, that is what a normal active human body needs to maintain body weight. “And these guys are just sitting around up there,” he said of the jail.
Over the years, he said, he has noticed that many of the inmates get a chance to regain their health in jail.
“A lot of them are drug addicts, drunks and, when they leave here, they’re all healed up.”
Inmate Allen Gere, working the food line earlier this month, has found that to be true. “I’ve never eaten this good out there,” he said, speaking of life outside the jail. He noted that his lifestyle includes “drugs, alcohol and late-night parties.”
In jail, he said, “I gain a lot of weight and get healthy again.”
Hisey sees another benefit to jail food, which, especially in the summer and fall, is flush with produce. “The more fresh fruits and vegetables they eat, the less likely they are to get sick, and this cuts down on our medical expenses.
It’s 5 a.m. on Tuesday and Sgt. Dave Hisey checks out the special needs menu before his inmate crew at the Chelan County Regional Justice Center begins making up 280 breakfast trays for inmates.
Sgt. Dave Hisey supervises inmates Peter Hunt, left, and Spencer Blaikie loading surplus food from Food Pavilion in Wenatchee.
WENATCHEE — Sgt. Dave Hisey is a connoisseur of food.
Not the fine stuff — served with exquisite presentation, chilled forks and an expensive bottle of wine. His specialty is jail food.
“We serve a restaurant-quality product,” said the food service manager at the Chelan County Regional Justice Center. “The only difference is you don’t get a menu.”
Take the Breakfast Country Potatoes, served for breakfast last Thursday. Those spuds were spiced up with peppers and onions. A big serving went onto a plate with two sausage links, a biscuit, fresh cherries, watermelon and cantaloupe.
Hisey, in charge of the jail’s food since 1984, can recall where everything on the plate came from. The potatoes, sausage and biscuit mix were purchased from the Sysco Corp.; the peppers, onions and the fresh fruit is surplus from local grocery stores and fruit warehouses.
Hisey, said jail Administrator Phil Stanley, has perfected a system for acquiring food from local grocery stores and fruit warehouses. The donations are food the vendors can no longer sell.
Usually, said Hisey, that’s because of some imperfections or age. Jail staff go through the donated food, and take out what has gone bad or cut off parts that are not edible — “things that are not eye-appealing on the outside, like we cut out dings from tomatoes.” He also networks with other social-service agencies in the Wenatchee Valley, offering them food and other items that he can’t use.
Hisey said he sees his job as a service to the community. Surplus food is not wasted, inmates get trained in food service work so they have a skill when they are released, and the whole process saves the taxpayers money.
According to his calculations, stores and fruit warehouses donated $222,000 worth of food in 2009. That allowed Hisey to serve meals for 59.24 cents per plate. Without the donations, he estimates each plate would have cost 94.78 cents.
Hisey learned how to budget the hard way — by trial and error.
The 1973 graduate of Eastmont High School came to work as the main cook at the jail in 1984. His experience included 11 years as manager of a pizza restaurant.
His orientation, held in the kitchen, might have put off a weaker man.
“The jail commander and sergeant came in behind me and said, ‘Here it is.’ I thought, ‘This needs a lot of work,’ then I turned around and they were gone. That was my orientation.”
Back in the early years, he was the only paid kitchen employee. His helpers were the inmates. Now, he has a staff of 5 1/2.
In the mid-1980s, he fed a daily inmate population of 65 to 80. Now, he averages 300 to 325 inmates per day.
The first year he worked in the jail, he said, a superior did all the food purchasing. When that man retired in the early 1990s, Hisey took over the job. Over the years, he developed his current system of buying only what he can’t get donated from local businesses.
Hisey, who starts work between 3 and 4 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, estimates he spends 40 percent of his day on the phone and placing e-mails to line up food and supplies, 30 percent of his day picking up food from around the valley with an inmate crew, and 30 percent of his time supervising the food line at the jail.
He said he is serious about food safety, and that means strict supervision of the inmate crew.
“What is the reason most people are in jail?” he asked. “They don’t follow instructions. ... If you don’t supervise them, they could be doing anything — goofing around. They think it’s funny to have a food fight. Things like that have happened, but if you set your tolerance level at zero, it helps out a lot.”
Still, things happen. Just recently, Hisey recalled, he noticed an kitchen inmate was wearing pants three sizes too big for his frame. A deputy searched the inmate and found, inside the pants, “a dozen cinnamon rolls, potato chips and all sorts of food items in his pants.”
Kitchen work is a privilege, Hisey said, and that inmate is no longer working in the kitchen.
Hisey’s job also includes buying all the supplies for the jail, including mattress covers and shoes, and he supervises inmates who do the jail laundry.
“It’s one of those jobs where you have to keep wandering, checking and rechecking things” he said.
At age 55, Hisey has no plans to retire. The job, he said, challenges him to create meals that change from day to day, and he likes that.
“Maybe you’ll serve noodles with white sauce, then noodles with red sauce and then maybe with vinegar and oil and a little parmesan cheese, or you can make a warm pasta salad.” he said. “You get to be creative.”
Dee Riggs: 664-7147
deeriggs@wenatcheeworld.com
Comments
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slowbutsteady (slow butsteady) says...
By the looks of things, the inmates have it pretty good in there.
July 14, 2010 at 9:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eastwenatchee (concerned citizen) says...
YA right, the food in there is garbage, undercooked meat, rotten fruits and veggies, unrecognizable food, stuff I wouldnt feed to a dog, this article is a bunch of political fluff trying to make the conditions look favorable when they actually need much improvment.
July 14, 2010 at 9:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bond (James Bond) says...
Restaurant quality? What restaurants does this maniac eat at?
July 14, 2010 at 9:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TwoCents (Two Cents) says...
Stay out of trouble and you won't have to worry about what the menu is at the local jail. If jail itself isn't a deterrent for you, perhaps knowing what you have to eat while you're there will be.
July 14, 2010 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
slowbutsteady (slow butsteady) says...
That makes me feel better knowing the food is lousy - I agree 2 cents - stay out of jail and you won't have to eat any of that lousy food.
July 14, 2010 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Gator (J Bone) says...
I am no expert on the matter, but I am pretty sure you must be exaggerating, concerned citizen, as I would bet that the Health Dept. or some civil rights group would be up in arms if the food really was perceived as unhealthy at the jail.
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As far as whether or not jail food is "restaurant quality", WHO CARES? The TV dinners I eat half the time, because I am too tired to make anything after a 10 hour work day, are certainly not restaurant quality. Why should inmates have a better menu than the average, hard-working Joe Blow?
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July 14, 2010 at 11:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lonedog3 (Joe Arballo) says...
Those in jail shouldnt eat like kings and queens! Jails should be a place where once your convictied of your crime you co to pay the price. It should ba a place that you never want to go back to. The problem starts in juvie where the punks are molly coddled into being the poor victim by the social workers. They come out of juvie as heros not someone carrying the message of "man, you don't want to go there." Take the perks of easy time in jail so that socity no longer has to put up with "instuitunionalized" people that cannot function out of jail. Turn jail's back into the hell holes they should be!
July 14, 2010 at 11:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chewie921 (brett schmitt) says...
From personal experience i can say the food in there is no where near restaurant quality. Rotten food and spoiled vegetables are just a few of the great "restaurant" quality food in there. What do you guys think surplus food means. It means its past its expiration date or its rotten. Also not everyone that is in jail is bad, or a punk, or a criminal, sometimes bad stuff happens to good people.
July 14, 2010 at 11:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lonedog3 (Joe Arballo) says...
We and we alone have control over our destiny. Nobody else has control over us or our actions. For every one of our actions there is a reaction. There are no innocent people in jail.
July 14, 2010 at 12:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
funnyguy (chris Lippert) says...
I agree with what the gentleman said about the food being bad,I have been in jail and worked in the kitchen.There is food that shouldnt even be served.As far as the health department goes Hisey gets a heads up on when they are coming and the show goes on.Why does the jail need 4 women down in the kitchen when all they do is stand around barking orders and texting on their cellphones? Want to cut costs? elimate a few of the employees down in the kitchen that dont need to be there.The public should be aware of watse and the kitchen is a start
July 14, 2010 at 12:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cmerollin (Chris Gonzalez) says...
Break The Law Pay The Price.... Atleast you get a full meal... If I ran the place i would feed them all only Bread & Water that is it....
July 14, 2010 at 12:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JustanObserver (Jay Patterson) says...
I've often found that the biggest complainers, those who exaggerate the most, and those that outright lie and cheat are the also the ones that end up in jail for one reason or another. As such, I am exercising my good judgement and industry and regulatory experience in saying that many of the comments above pertaining to "first-hand" knowledge of the jail food should be summarily ignored. I am well versed in how food service is regulated, and the claims above do not rignt true. Oh wells, every community has its rotten apples.
July 14, 2010 at 12:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
funnyguy (chris Lippert) says...
Well Jay maybe you should go check it out for yourself sometime.I too know all about food service.I have been a bakery manager for many years and the jail is NOT up to health department standards .Yes every community does have its rotten apples and they are being served at the jail.
July 14, 2010 at 1:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
whtl (Justa Thought) says...
JAIL IS NOT A VACATION SPA, PEOPLE ARE THERE TO BE PUNISHED. MAYBE THE FOOD ALONE IS A BIG ENOUGH DETERRENT TO MAKE SOME PEOPLE RUN A STRAIGHT LINE. LIKE THE OLD SAYING GOES DONT DO THE CRIME IF YOU CANT DO THE TIME.
July 14, 2010 at 2:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Justaperson (Justa Person) says...
Don't like the food, don't go back to the restaurant! Pretty simple advice.
July 14, 2010 at 2:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
funnyguy (chris Lippert) says...
All bussinesses follow health code why not the jail,Oh by the way I did my time thnk you very much
July 14, 2010 at 2:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bowser (Bob Bowser) says...
On the count of three let's all bang our cups on the table until things improve around here!
July 14, 2010 at 2:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Gator (J Bone) says...
Rick Dube,
I'd be willing to bet that EVERY inmate in the jail is innocent.
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At least, if you ask those inmates.
.
July 14, 2010 at 4:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Flamebike (Just Cuz) says...
How about three meals a day--bologna sandwich in the morning, noon and night--and for your beverage, you have a choice of water or nothing---that's exactly what Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona does--and he tells the inmates "if you don't like the food or the accomodations (tent and bunk beds in the heat and cold), don't come back" He spends 22 cents a day per inmate!!
July 14, 2010 at 4:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
What you all dont realize is the food that is donated to the jail is also donated to the Women’s Resource Center and other shelters so food that the inmates think is not worthy of eating poor and homeless people are eating with out complaint and they are grateful for the food. The food that is given is past its pull date and its not really meant to be stored its meant to eat right away especially the fruits and vegetables.
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If you research on the ACLU they have complained numerous times in Washington State about the food served to the inmates as not being nutritious or meeting dietary standards. People who are pregnant, diabetic and have other medical restrictions the jail does not have the capacity to feed them properly. They refuse to find grants and money to properly feed them. Instead they rely on what is given to them by the community and try to make due. They basically take food out of the mouths of the community and the needy instead of looking for money. The county and the jails are lazy. I don’t think this is fair. The inmates are entitled to humane treatment and healthy eating especially those with medical diets. People who are homeless and go to food banks substitute their foods mostly with what is given to them. They do not solely rely on food bank food or most of them (I can’t speak for everyone) they have other means of getting food these people in jail do not they are totally reliant on the jail to provide for their needs. I feel that Chelan County should NOT be taking out of the mouths of the homeless and needy to feed the inmates. I feel that it is totally unfair. They should have the budget to feed their inmates and meet medical dietary needs for everyone.
July 14, 2010 at 7:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lonedog3 (Joe Arballo) says...
they are criminals and should be fed the minimun required not to be considered cruel and inhuman. Also most of the people belonging to the ACLU should be in there as well. The homless have committed no crime that created victims. They should eat better than criminals.
July 14, 2010 at 8:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sweetgrandma (sweetgrandma C) says...
Question Lonedog3... have you been to juvie? Do you have a child who was in juvie? How do you know that they are molly coddled? What makes you think they are punks? Sorry to disagree; wait, no I am not... There are some kids and adults as well who have mental health issues that result them being placed in jail or juvey...they are not punks... Kids especially make choices that get them placed in juvey...doesn't make them punks... Kids in juvey are locked up, have no freedom, are told what they can do and when... and must attend school .... doesn't sound like molly coddeling to me
July 14, 2010 at 10:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
anotherview (my opinion) says...
Actually, all crime is a mental health issue. And if crime results in being rewarded a fair amount of comfort, it is liable to happen over and over again.
July 15, 2010 at 1:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Gator (J Bone) says...
Mary Songbird,
I couldn't disagree more. In this era of ever-increasing middle-class taxation, you are advocating a bigger budget for better food for inmates? Really?
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The Washington State legislature is closing primary schools, closing state-subsidized homeless and animal shelters, and state-run college tuition has increased (something like) 22% in the last 8 years, and you expect that more taxpayer money should go to making inmates a nice T-bone???
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Whether the system of food service for inmates is ideal or not is not really the issue, IMHO, because the system is otherwise tapped out - any improvements that are subsidized by the gov't will funnel money from somewhere else.
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I agree that the food donation system is not ideal, and I also agree that the shelters need the food as well, but with the current state of the state budget and the economy, I think a little common-sense prioritizing is necessary.
.
July 15, 2010 at 8:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
@ Gator Chelan County is LAZY and they over spend. I am not saying feed them a TBone Steak in jail. They should have the capacity to take care of their inmates and everyone's nutritional needs including those who have special needs. I would like to see the college credentials of Sgt. Hissy he has spent years with his trial and error at the expense of diabetic crashes and people being sent to the hospital. Simply being a former owner of a pizza joint is hardly a credential. Consulting with a dietitian who comes once a year is not a credential. I would like to see a registered dietician working there.
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Those inmates sit and watch TV all day. I don't even watch cable TV or own it at home. They spend money on other things that are not needed and I think things could be cut over there. The inmates who get money that comes in for commisary stuff should be taxed more or a percentage taken out to help pay for food. I think instead of taking from the food bank and out of the mouths of the local needy they should approach local businesses and offer their inmates in exchange for their wages. Don't let them sit on their arses all day long make them work and if they are not able to work make it miserable. Don't let their families bring in books and contraband. Limit their library to Moby Dick..If they are going to allow families to bring in books, magazines, and other piddly stuff charge them a processing fee. 1.50 per 1/4 of a pound per stuff. It should be explained that the extra fee is providing the inmates with better food.
July 15, 2010 at 10:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
Why can't they appeal to local farmers and have them work on their farms in exchange for a percentage of food? Send a van to Quincy and to local farms. I know gas is expensive but I am sure they could find money somewhere if they were resourceful enough. They want wheat to make bread with make them go to Waterville and work for a day.
July 15, 2010 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
girlfawkes (r wools) says...
"I think instead of taking from the food bank and out of the mouths of the local needy they should approach local businesses and offer their inmates in exchange for their wages."
I agree with the sentiment but this would be a huge conflict of interest. How would you determine which private sector businesses get the windfall of cheap inmate labor? Who would be responsible for liability?
July 15, 2010 at 10:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
I bet you if either one of us that has posted something on this blog came down to the jail and looked at how it was ran and really paid attention to their books and budgeting I think we could do a better job we would find all sorts of resourceful ways to get things that are needed.
July 15, 2010 at 10:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
@ Girlfawkes I would make the local business bid on it like you would bid on a contract to do construction work. The plus to sending these people out to work is your reducing the need for migrant work. Your taking jobs from undocumented and documented people that come here to work for farmers.
July 15, 2010 at 11:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
Unfortunately there is so much sentiment to my thoughts I agree. My ideas would first have to get past the stigma of hiring inmates and letting them work on farms. No one wants to honestly give thieves and criminals the ability to work and have some sort of redemption for their crimes. Finding resources and money for the jail is a tough job. Sgt. Hissy has the world on his shoulders. I just do not personally think they are resourceful enough is all.
July 15, 2010 at 11:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
girlfawkes (r wools) says...
Assuming that there would be total transparency in a deal like this (which knowing the gov I doubt) it still leaves unresolved the issue of liability. I just don't really think windfalls of public resources should be offered to the private sector, even assuming things could be kept "honest" in a bidding process. Inmate labor should be restricted to the public sector, I could see that and don't really understand why it isn't utilized more frequently.
There is also the possibility of this cheap labor displacing those who have and need steady employment in the private sector and that's a thought I don't like at all. Why should Worker Joe Blow who's never even seen the inside of a jail cell have his job eliminated because his boss obtained the windfall of $4 per hour labor through a bid?
How about we stop locking up hordes of people for the non-violent "crime" of drug use and possession? That would go a long way toward eliminating these budget shortfalls. I know this is a horse that is beat to death in discussions like this but the fact that it comes up so often is a pretty clear indication that it holds a truth at its core. I for one don't relish the thought of paying beaucoup tax dollars for some lazy stoner caught with an ounce and a pipe. A fine and a lecture would both generate money for the county and eliminate the spending on jailing these people. Make it akin to a speeding ticket unless there is other crime associated with the possession.
July 15, 2010 at 11:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
@Girlfawkes I agree to some extent...I have great sentiment. I think this has been beat to death. Your points are valid the jobs should not take away from people who need jobs who are not in jail. As for liability I honestly can not answer that and have a solution. My thoughts would be that it would be the same as it always has been as far as liability goes when they take inmates out and make them lift heavy boxes at Food Pavillion and nothing in that department would change.
One last thought.. I am just curious as to why the jail is paying for mattress covers and pillows for inmates. Our jail is just not resourceful I think. Give them a concrete slab and let them rent pillows and mattresses. This would generate more peoples families that have compassion for their relatives and make them bring in money for the inmate. If they want luxury make them rent or buy it. The inmates destroy them anyway by trying to hide contraband and when cells are tossed its more energy and time spent searching them. I agree there are some people who have medical needs and need them let them get a physicians note in order to get one at reduced price or for free.
July 15, 2010 at 11:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
David123 (David 123) says...
Actually all they need to do is bring the level UP TO a school luncheon standard and stay there.
Not "restaurant quality"...which is a laughable statement at best.
Not that the food was awesome all the time back in school, it wasn't. But it also wasn't stale, old, dated giveaways either where bad parts have to be "cut out" and sorted through. These inmates are paying money for each day they're in jail. So I think they can be fed a little higher standard than the homeless.
Those calling for bread and water is fine...but does it have to be stale bread?
July 15, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
I am vocal for human and constitutional rights. Chelan County has a horrible judicial system. Truly innocent people are forced to plea bargain for crimes that they did not commit. If you read the paper you will see all the Alfred Pleas...
July 15, 2010 at 10:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Flamebike (Just Cuz) says...
Mary says "Chelan County has a horrible judicial system"--well, don't break the law, and you won't have "first hand" knowledge of that--now would you??
IF, you're guilty, plea barganing is an easy way of reducing your charges as well as your incarseration time--If you're not, why plea bargan at all? Your innocent!!
July 16, 2010 at 8:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Flamebike (Just Cuz) says...
Oh, by the way Mary---that's Alford--I beleive.
July 16, 2010 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarySongbird (Lois Northwind) says...
Flame is that the only thing you can pick on? My spelling of Alford? Just wait until one of your loved ones gets arrested. I have never been arrested thank goodness but I have seen it. Your well don't break the law and you wont have first hand knowledge comment is full of arrogance. Is this true for people who are arrested for murder and child molestation? Have you seen those ABC 20/20s where people who are innocent are exonerated because of our broken judicial system. Innocent people have had their lives taken away from them.
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The public pretenders in this county and all over the place (the judicial system is broken everywhere not just Wenatchee) you tell your lawyers your innocent and they are not willing to fight for you. Instead they threaten you with if you don't take this plea bargain that is being offered to you your going to spend YEARS and YEARS in prison. You will be told there is no money to look in to finding and looking in to evidence of your crime to prove your innocence. I had a loved one be told hey look I had to once plea bargain even though I was innocent to a crime that I did not commit just plea bargain and you can get it expunged off your records. I don't call them lawyers at all I call them good salesmen trying to get you the best deal. If every single public pretender took every single case to trial in Chelan county to prove everyone's innocence the backlog of cases to get them to trial would take years and years. The public pretenders in this county and everywhere pray on the ignorance of the common folks seeking their help they want to get them in and out of their office. If your arrested for murder or child molestation.. honestly if you can find the funds hire a lawyer who will fight for you.
July 16, 2010 at 12:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Flamebike (Just Cuz) says...
Mary says "Flame is that the only thing you can pick on? My spelling of Alford?"
*NO--I certainly could find many more--ie--"Just wait until one of your loved ones gets arrested."--"I have never been arrested thank goodness but I have seen it."--Up close and personnal, right??
*"you tell your lawyers your innocent and they are not willing to fight for you."--Not when they know you're guilty, why waste the taxpayers money and thier time!!
*"I don't call them lawyers at all I call them good salesmen trying to get you the best deal."--That's thier job, and you should be happy they're saving taxpayer funds by not expending time, energy and dollars going to court, when the Defendant is obviously not too far removed from the crime. Additionally, the Defendant usually always gets off with a lighter sentence than if they were to take it through the entire trial.
*Need I say more?
July 18, 2010 at 9:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Flamebike (Just Cuz) says...
Mary also says--"I had a loved one be told hey look I had to once plea bargain even though I was innocent to a crime that I did not commit just plea bargain and you can get it expunged off your records."--Now, why in the world would anyone, that's not guilty, plea bargin at all--If I was in that position, you can bet I'd be pleading Not Guilty in a flash--it doesn't make any sense whatsoever--the only reason you'd plea bargin is if you and all parties involved know you're guilty, and they're trying to unclog the court system by cutting you a deal, rather than waste time and money--period!!!
July 18, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
merimay (Meredith Maser) says...
For those of you complaining, unless you are speaking from some embittered personal experience of having been in jail....know your facts before speaking again. We've personally witnessed (thankfully not as inmates) the level of scrutiny and pride with which Sgt. Hisey utilizes in this process and in every aspect of his job. Additionally, I have had the pleasure of partaking in his phenomenal cooking abilities. You will not meet a harder working man who genuinely cares about the quality of his work. These inmates would be on a solid diet of Ramen and crack if they weren't in there. Their health and well-being could not be in better hands. If you continue to doubt or feel like ranting needlessly, I strongly suggest you go get yourself arrested and provide yourself the opportunity to have a much finer meal than any of you could likely conjure up.
July 19, 2010 at 12:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )