Ms. Burdress,

You seem to be as confused with Mr. Cranium's remarks as I was. Glad to see you rebutted him.

Only thing I can estimate from his post is that Mr. Cranium had a few drinks before he wrote it.

Perhaps we in Hawkins county should look at using the philosophy of one county in Arizona..Simply put offenders in tents and make make them sleep outdoors. It is not inhumane treatment. Serving 48 hours at a camp site with limited food and some day labor would not be outlandish. It also would allow some public places to be kept in shape with the free labor. They could wear an orange vest while working off their time saying DRUNK DRIVER, I'M SORRY!

Excuse me Mr. Cranium for speaking before I knew what I was talking about. I guess since you've "been there" and I haven't "been there", that makes you so much more of an expert. I also appreciate the fact that you at first, attack me for blaming the judge for overcrowding (which I never did), stating that it is the STATE's job to mandate jail sizes, then you later state that we should "blame the county for not doing something years ago about overcrowding". I'm sorry, now which one is it - State or County? Lol. And when I stated that one of the drunk drivers he released could possibly "strike again", with a worse outcome next time, I did not mean that they would literally leave their court hearing drunk, and IMMEDIATELY strike someone after. I simply meant, that any lawyer of a victim that thinks even an inch outside the box, would and should pay attention to the fact that their client's assault/death could have been avoided had the DUI offender been properly punished the FIRST time. And I'm sure since every court hearing, and previous charge brought upon a DUI offender would be looked into in the case of someone being injured as a result, somewhere down the line the question would be asked, "why was this man not properly punished the first time?" Maybe your experience in incarceration puts you above my intelligence level. So, again, I apologize.

Highest percentage of incarcerated citizens in the world and the right wants to build more prisons, implement more mandatory sentences, treat human beings as bad as possible...

During Sheriff Lee Justice term back in the 1981 there were more than 100 prisoners were locked up in the Hawkins County Jail due to drug arrest. The prisoners slept in shift and the temperment of both prisoners and staff was unpleasant for all those involved.
The overcrowding of the Hawkins County jail is not a new problem, it has on-going since the conception of the building. In other words, the present jail was condemned before it was ever finished. The bright people we elect to serve us have always been more interested in stuffing their pockets instead of what best for the community. What Judge Brand did isn't the worth thing in the world. I'm sure he felt it was the best solution for the sheriff's ailing problem that not going to get any better when the jail is moved to the old Kmart building.

Overcrowding my butt, they are criminals like any other and deserve no luxury. There is plenty of property out there, I say built some sparse barracks like buildings, surround it in razor wire, and go back to using work camps and chain gangs.

Sure, two drinks an hour, everyone does it and then drives! Wrong. True, the threat of a possible lawsuit as a result of jail overcrowding doesn't sound to good for taxpayers. But what about when one of the drunk drivers the judge let go strikes a car, killing someone, resulting in an even BIGGER lawsuit on the county? Driving drunk is a threat to people's lives, it is not merely an accepted social activity. The punishment SHOULD be enforced and if it can't immediately take place due to jail overcrowding, then the judge should give the offenders a later reporting date to complete the mandatory 48 hours. I highly doubt everyone that the jail is holding will be there for the next six months, or even six weeks. I guess it's okay since they didn't hurt or kill anyone on the ONE occasion that they were CAUGHT doing it, right?

Judge Brand is one of the most common sense judges I've ever witnessed, He shots from the hip, says what he thinks, and does his best to do the right things. Had you rather him overcrowd the jail, get a federal lawsuit from inmates and cost the county millions in insurance money going, to some of those inmates already housed there? Wonder how many people on here have went out to eat and had two drinks and drove home? Guess what two drinks in an hour and you could go to jail also? The difference, you haven't gotten caught.

There are too many people IN jail, because the conditions are too good. 3 squares a day, television, radio, telephone, and no work.

Make jail like a prison, make them work, and the population inside will go down.

Some people go to jail just for a free ride on society.

So now what ?

I hope it isnt your family members they run down while on a drunk joy ride.