U.S. - Judge Promises Reduced Jail Time If Tennessee Inmates Get Vasectomies

[S.J.B.]

Judge Promises Reduced Jail Time If Tennessee Inmates Get Vasectomies
Colin Dwyer
NPR
July 21st, 2017

As general sessions judge for White County, Tenn., Sam Benningfield says the vast majority of cases he hears are drug-related offenses. The opioid epidemic has hit the state especially hard — resulting in more than 1,400 drug overdose deaths there in 2015 alone, according to the CDC — and he felt that an unusual solution would be necessary to drive home the dangers of illegal drugs for would-be parents.

So in May, Benningfield issued a standing order: If inmates at the White County Jail undergo a form of long-term contraception for free — a vasectomy for men or a Nexplanon implant for women — they can shave 30 days off their sentences.

"I'm trying to help these folks begin to think about taking responsibility for their life and giving them a leg up — you know, when they get out of jail — to perhaps rehabilitate themselves and not be burdened again with unwanted children and all that comes with that," Benningfield tells CBS News.

Others have not seen his order in the same light. After a local News Channel 5 report earlier this week, the order earned national headlines — and significant criticism, both in the county and beyond state lines.

Read the full story here.

This is sick. It's hard to believe that coerced sterilizations are happening in a first-world country. I hope the county gets sued to kingdom come in a few years, once a few of these poor people decide that they want to have children.

 

[TheRapperGoneBad]

30 days lol

Gotta be really desperate to give up a lifetime choice of reproduction to get out a month early.. this couldn't be aimed at say sick/w.d. drug offenders could it?

Forreal tho this some shady stuff.

How about professional help to get them ready for the world again or therapist/psychiatric doctors instead of sterilization doctors.

 

[RDP89]

This is beyond ridiculous and should be illegal.

 

[aihfl]

This is sick. It's hard to believe that coerced sterilizations are happening in a first-world country.

I agree that it's sick, but originally being from Tennessee (Nashville, which is at least an urban area), I can say confidently that anyone would be hard-pressed to characterize White County as first world. I got stopped for speeding there when I was 16, had my parents' car searched and was taken to a police station and interrogated. Mind you this was long before I started abusing alcohol and other downers. They don't place nice there. Instead of just writing me a ticket and getting on with their day, the undoubtedly saw the "Davidson" [County] at the bottom of the license plate and had me pegged as some sort of urban troublemaker.

 

[Nod Alot]

30 days lol

Gotta be really desperate to give up a lifetime choice of reproduction to get out a month early.. this couldn't be aimed at say sick/w.d. drug offenders could it?

Forreal tho this some shady stuff.

How about professional help to get them ready for the world again or therapist/psychiatric doctors instead of sterilization doctors.

^^ exactly! Instead of blowing tax dollars on birth control procedures use that money on some real help for these people! This sterilization notion is unethical as hell! Crazy...

 

[Jabberwocky]

There a lots of groups in the US that target low income and homeless drug using women to get their tubes tied. Last time I noticed an ad for this, the payout was like $300USD. Very sad and disturbing.

Great find SJB!