# Omnibus Stupid MFers in the news thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 5, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657 "2024-01-05T16:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 220
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4381 "2025-04-09T15:14:23Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Did he have a home to go to, with food and water and heat in it? Unknown, at this time. But he did have a criminal record in the county from four years ago, and he had just posted bond in a criminal case in the county neighboring to the south. Presumably he’s been in the area for a period of time. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > If not, was there a shelter ready to take him, and if so did he know this? > > How far was the county detention center from that home or shelter, if one was available, and did he have any way to get there that didn’t require him to have money? There’s a shelter less than two blocks from the detention center. In fact, one can see the sign from the front of the building that houses the detention center. That shelter serves meals twice a day. There’s an overnight shelter about 2 miles away, maybe a 45 minute walk. There were better options open to him than walking 20 minutes to Walgreen’s and robbing the place. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4382 "2025-04-09T15:36:28Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I don’t have any direct knowledge but don’t you get your stuff back before they turn you loose? I’m thinking the opening minutes of _The Blues Brothers_ here. “One unused prophylactic. One soiled.” ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4383 "2025-04-09T17:38:26Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > AIUI part of the evidence against him was that he was found with the exact amount of money which had been stolen; which, if it’s to be actual evidence, would have to mean that he had no money on him at all before the theft. Or that it was all still in a bag. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4384 "2025-04-09T18:05:49Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > There’s a shelter less than two blocks from the detention center. In fact, one can see the sign from the front of the building that houses the detention center. That shelter serves meals twice a day. OK. Info that I didn’t see in the story. > [@Railer13](#): > > There were better options open to him than walking 20 minutes to Walgreen’s and robbing the place. I expect most people would have better options. I was just pointing out that if they had put him out the door with no money and no place to go, that would have been asking for trouble. If there was a place within sight that people being released could go to, or for that matter if the jail makes sure people have somewhere to go in some other fashion, that does put a different perspective on it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4385 "2025-04-09T18:27:32Z")
Isn’t that why there are halfway houses in most places? They’re specifically to help people transition from life on the inside to life on the outside. In particular, if you’ve been in for a long time, things change on the outside that may be mystifying to you. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4386 "2025-04-09T18:44:51Z")
The guy was in a jail, not a prison, i.e. at most a few months. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4387 "2025-04-09T19:12:02Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I was just pointing out that if they had put him out the door with no money and no place to go, that would have been asking for trouble. Maybe. But I would conjecture that a fair number of folks across the country are released in that fashion. And very few of them rob a store within the hour. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4388 "2025-04-09T19:20:52Z")
It was a jail. Most folks would be released with whatever cash (if it wasn’t seized) identification and credit cards and other personal possessions they had with them when booked, which wouldn’t have been that long ago. Granted, some wouldn’t have anything when released and nobody to call, but that wouldn’t be the most common situation, either. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4389 "2025-04-09T19:25:07Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > He was discharged from a county detention center, which sounds like the equivalent of a county jail where people are generally incarcerated for relatively short periods. He probably wasn’t released after a 20-year sentence with no money and told to fend for himself. At my local lock-up you might get fed if you’re in there for more than a few hours but soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. all have to be paid for at the commissary. If you came in with little you’re likely to leave with none. Even if it’s “just” a few days, releasing someone with zero money and possibly zero support system or place to go may not end well. > [@Railer13](#): > > There’s a shelter less than two blocks from the detention center. In fact, one can see the sign from the front of the building that houses the detention center. That shelter serves meals twice a day. There’s an overnight shelter about 2 miles away, maybe a 45 minute walk. > > There were better options open to him than walking 20 minutes to Walgreen’s and robbing the place. OK, fair play. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4390 "2025-04-09T19:27:15Z")
Honestly, I think it’s bullshit that the jail doesn’t provide basic hygiene items like soap or toothpaste. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4391 "2025-04-09T19:28:32Z")
Agreed… but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4392 "2025-04-09T19:50:27Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > And very few of them rob a store within the hour. “So, when I get out, I’m gonna get a tall cold beer!” “Not me, I’m gonna jump on my girlfriend.” “Me, I’m just gonna enjoy the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair…” “Oh, none o’ that stuff for me. I’ve been dreaming about frightening a bodega clerk half to death…” ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4393 "2025-04-09T22:00:55Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Even if it’s “just” a few days, releasing someone with zero money and possibly zero support system or place to go may not end well. Many people practice a life of brinkmanship that can be tenuous enough that a small gap in its progression would cause the whole thing to fall apart. Sometimes just a week in jail will be too much for one’s apparent stability. If they live alone or are vital for the persistence of a small household, homelessness ensues quite rapidly, the landlord evicts them and puts their stuff on the sidewalk and suddenly a somewhat comfortable person becomes a vagrant with diminishing prospects. But, at least, if they are caught robbing a store, they will have a place to stay for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4394 "2025-04-09T22:07:15Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > But, at least, if they are caught robbing a store, they will have a place to stay for a while. There was an Adam-12 about a guy who had basically spent most of his life in and out of prison. He was out at 60-something and he couldn’t cope. He committed another crime so he could go “home”. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4395 "2025-04-09T23:16:46Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > There was an Adam-12 about a guy who had basically spent most of his life in and out of prison. He was out at 60-something and he couldn’t cope. He committed another crime so he could go “home”. I had a patient who did just that. He’d spent over 4 decades in prison in NY and NJ, got released and couldn’t cope. But he’d heard the medical care was better in Wisconsin, so came to Wisconsin and robbed a bank, and waited patiently until police came. He was disappointed that the judge wouldn’t give him as much time in prison as he desired. He was quite interesting to talk to, and discuss how he viewed life in and out of prison. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4396 "2025-04-09T23:27:32Z")
Apparently your reputation for medical care was well known. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4397 "2025-04-09T23:56:17Z")
It’s an interesting idea; some sort of voluntary social service where people could simply go to _exist_ but have everything done for them and every minute of the day dictated by others, but not because a crime was committed or any punishment has to be given. These aren’t the first stories I hear of people simply preferring prison life to anything else they can manage on the outside. What if people could just do something like that? I do not have the creative writing skills to explore this idea (nor contemplate the financial side of this) but it’s interesting to consider! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4398 "2025-04-09T23:59:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Newton, MA, was not named for the Physicist, or anyone else named Newton. It was originally Newtown and got shortened. I used to live there. Of course, the physicist’s name probably also originates from “New Town”. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4399 "2025-04-10T00:14:50Z")
Seems to me that in _Brubaker_, they spoke of “trustees”, who were prison residents who lived there because they could not manage outside. Not actual prisoners _per se_, but they had no other options. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4400 "2025-04-10T00:22:29Z")
I’d originally heard the term “trusty” while watching the original _The Longest Yard_: one of the supporting characters, “Caretaker” Farrell (played by James Hampton) was a trusty. My understanding of the trusty system is that the trusties were, in fact, currently-incarcerated prisoners, but they had earned the trust of the guards, due to good behavior, and were sometimes given special privileges, as well as, often, some control over other prisoners (including, sometimes, being armed). (I suppose there might have been some “trusties” who were not currently serving time, as you note, but I’d not heard of that before.) I had not known, until reading the Wikipedia article below, that the trusty system (which existed in a number of Southern states) was abolished in the 1970s, after a Federal court case. > **[Trusty system (prison)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusty_system_(prison))** > > The "trusty system" (sometimes incorrectly called "trustee system") was a penitentiary system of discipline and security enforced in parts of the United States until the 1980s, in which designated inmates were given various privileges, abilities, and responsibilities not available to all inmates. > It was made compulsory under Mississippi state law but was used in other states as well, such as Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, New York and Texas. The method of controlling and working inmates at Missi... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=219) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=221)