The demotion of a warden and several other "ranking officers" in response to Keri Blakinger's reports in the Houston Chronicle on illegal quotas being applied to inmate discipline systems at multiple units has had Grits singing the opening verse to this tune from the Old Crow Medicine Show all morning. TDCJ has dismissed around 500 disciplinary cases that officers filed against inmates under these quota systems, and it's a safe bet there are more among them which were fabricated but will now never be adjudicated.
It's the thought of those never-to-be-unearthed, fabricated cases that's caused the chorus from the Old Crow Medicine Show to bounce around Grits' head all morning: "How does the warden sleep at night, after the long day's through? Does he toss and turn? Does his conscience burn? Is he a prisoner, too?"
Author's note: Best song on that album IMO is "Sweet Amarillo." But "The Warden" is pretty badass. Makes you wish Johnny Cash were around to sing it.
ReplyDeleteWhat? No Beyonce?
ReplyDeletePerhaps "Daddy Lessons"? I enjoy both kinds of music: Country AND Western. ;)
ReplyDeleteJK. Actually, bc there's an 11-year old granddaughter in my life, my existence seemingly is saturated with Beyonce.