A JUDGE IN WHITE COUNTY TENNESSEE HAS OFFERED INMATES
WHO HAVE BEEN ADDICTED TO DRUGS AND WERE FOUND GUILTY OF
POSSESSION OF DRUGS AND OFFERED TO SHAVE OFF 30 DAYS OF THEIR
SENTENCE IF THEY AGREE TO GET A VASECTOMY OR OTHER
PROCEDURES THAT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM HAVING CHILDREN.
MALE INMATES CAN GET A VASECTOMY ON THE STATES TIME BY THE WAY
AND WOMEN CAN GET SOMETHING KNOWN AS A SUPPLANT AN IMPLANT
I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT BEFORE BUT IT IS AN IMPLIED THAT
PREVENTS WOMEN FROM GETTING PREGNANT FOR THREE WELLS YEARS.
DOCTORS CAN NOW REVERSE THIS ECTOMY'S BUT IT CAN BE A
COSTLY PROCEDURE THAT DOESN'T GUARANTEE SUCCESS.
THE JUDGE, SAM BENDING FILLED GIFTS AND JUSTIFICATIONS
FOR WHY THIS OFFER STANDS.
HE SEES AS A SOLUTION BENEFICIAL TO EVERYONE INVOLVED.
HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING I HOPE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE WHEN THEY DO
GET OUT TO NOT BE BURDENED WITH CHILDREN.
I UNDERSTAND IT WON'T IN TIGHTLY BE SUCCESSFUL BUT IF YOU
TEACH, REACH TWO OR THREE PEOPLE, MAYBE THAT'S TWO OR
THREE KIDS NOT BEING BORN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS.
KEEP IN MIND THE HEROIN EPIDEMIC IS HITTING STATES LIKE
TENNESSEE VERY HARD SO THEY ARE TRYING TO COME UP WITH
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR A BUT I'M NOT SURE THIS IS IT.
THE ONLY THING I WANT TO HEAR IS I WON'T PRESUME THE
AWFULNESS OF THE JUDGE.
MAYBE HE IS FRUSTRATED WITH SEEING KIDS BORN TO DRUG
ADDICTED PARENTS.
AND THE PROBLEMS THAT THAT KID INEVITABLY HAS OF THEY EVEN
SURVIVE SO IT MAY BE GENUINE IS ALMOST CERTAINLY ILLEGAL AND YOU
KNOW, INMATES ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE, THE
COERCION IS IMPLICIT IN THE OFFER.
THERE INMATES.
AND THAT IS WHAT THE ACLU SAYS ALTHOUGH I EXPECTED EVEN A
STRONGER STATEMENT FROM THE ACLU.
I THOUGHT THE STATEMENT WAS PRETTY STRONG.
THEY TOUCHED ON THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OR LACK
OF OVER THIS TYPE OF MEASURE.
THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF COERCION BECAUSE,
CONSENT, THERE IS A POWER IMBALANCE HERE AND IF THERE
IS A POWER IMBALANCE, AND INMATE CAN'T REALLY CONSIDER
SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND KEEP IN MIND, YEAH, VASECTOMY CAN
BE REVERSIBLE BUT THAT IS MY GUARANTEE.
AND IT'S EXPENSIVE SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY AND ARE CURRENTLY
IMPRISONED AS A RESULT OF THAT, IT IS GOING TO BE HARD FOR
THEM TO GET JOBS AS THEY GET OUT AND SO IF YOU MAKE THE
ARGUMENT LIKE WHATEVER, THEY CAN JUST REVERSE IT.
THEY PROBABLY WILL HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT AND I
ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF THE JUDGE IS A GOOD OR BAD PERSONS
101 A JUDGE THAT EITHER, BUT ONE THING THAT I DO WANT TO SAY IS
THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN ADDICTED TO DRUGS, YOU ARE
SENDING A MESSAGE TO THEM THAT THEY ARE TARNISHED, THAT THEY
ARE UNABLE TO EVER HAVE KIDS AND BE RESPONSIBLE PARENTS AND
I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO HANDLE IT.
I THINK THAT DRUG ADDICTION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND PEOPLE
NEED TO GET REHABILITATED AND THEY NEED HELP, BUT TO SEND
A MESSAGE OF YOU WOULDN'T BE A GOOD PARENT, SO LET'S TAKE
SOME PRECAUTIONS TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO PROCREATE.
I FEELÖ
THEY CAN REEDUCATE OR EDUCATE FOR NARCOTIC AND OPIOID ABUSE
DURING THE TIME OF THE INCARCERATION BUT YEAH THIS
SORT OF SEEMS LIKE A NONSTARTER BOTH LEGALLY AND PRACTICALLY.
WE CAN HAVE JUDGES STERILIZING OR OFFERING THE TO STERILIZE THE
OF A DARK HISTORY WITH THAT, CALIFORNIA SPECIALLY.
I SAID, PEOPLE IN THAT LINE OF WORK, HE DEALS WITH THIS AND
IT IS EASY FOR US TO BE FLIPPANT ABOUT IT.
WE DON'T EXPERIENCE KIDS BORN WITH OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SO I AM
SYMPATHETIC TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINES IN TRYING
TO THINK OF CREATIVE WAYS THAT WE ARE ALL AGAINST THIS WAY.
THEY LOOK AT IT AS A CYCLE AND IT IS, SO YEAH, TO BEN'S
POINT, I SUPPOSE WHEN YOU ARE IN THAT ROOM AND GOING HEY MAN, I
AM OUT OF IDEAS, THIS IS WHAT I'VE GOT, THAT PUTS THE
BEST FACE ON AND OFF COURSES AND ASSIST WITH THE HISTORY IN
THIS COUNTRY OF STERILIZING PRISONERS, THAT IS THE WORST.
IT IS A NO.
BUT I AM SYMPATHETIC TO THE DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING.
I AM ALSO SYMPATHETIC, BUT I JUST ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT I
ALWAYS FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE
COUNTRY ALWAYS WANT TO UTILIZE A BAND-AID FOR A GUSHING WOUND.
I GET THAT THEY WANT TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR THE SYMPTOMS
OF A PRETTY BIG PROBLEM IN THE COUNTRY, BUT HOW ABOUT YOU
FIND OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THIS ISSUE AND ACTUALLY COMBAT THAT.
THERE IS A REASON WHY WE HAVEN'T OPIOID EPIDEMIC THAT PEOPLE
DON'T WAKE UP ONE DAY AND THEY ARE CLEAN AND EVERYTHING IS
FINE AND THEY JUST DECIDE YOU KNOW WHAT?
ID.
AND GLENN SHAPIRO IN.
NO, THE REASON WHY WE'RE SEEING THIS HEROIN EPIDEMIC IS
BECAUSE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES HAVE BEEN PUSHING THESE
PAINKILLERS VERY AGGRESSIVELY FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND
SO, HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO
REEL THEM IN QUEST THAT WILL TALK ABOUT THE EFFORT.
SO TRUE BUT TO THE JUDGES, JUST TO SPEAK FOR THE
JUDGE, HE IS SORT OF AN END-USER.
HE GETS THIS WHOLE SYSTEM AFTER THE CULTURAL ASSEMBLY LINE
HAS ARTIE TURNED OUT THE PERSON WHO'S ADDICTED OPIOID.
COURSE YOU ARE RIGHT, YOU'VE GOT IT DISSEMBLE THINGS EARLIER
DOWN THE LINE BUT HE GETS IT WAY DOWN THE LIGHT AND HE IS
GOING WHAT A WAY TO?
I HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR COMING UP THIS
ASSEMBLY-LINE.
AND REALLY, THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS
OUR LAWMAKERS AND OUR LAWMAKERS, THEY'RE JUST EXPLOITING
THIS ISSUE FOR POLITICAL CAPITAL RIGHT OUT BUT THEY'RE NOT
DOING IT BECAUSE THEY GENUINELY CARE ABOUT AND THAT IS
ANOTHER FRUSTRATING COMPONENT OF ALL THIS.
WE SEEN SOME.
THERE ARE SOME LAWMAKERS WHO ARE FULLY VESTED PARTICULARLY A
NO HIGH OH THAT I KNOW OF TIME SURE OTHER PLACES TO THAT
WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
LOOK, IT COST MONEY AND WILLING TO SPEND MONEY ON THESE ARE
GENERALLY POOR PEOPLE.
IN GENERAL, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE DO.
THERE WAS AN OPIOID EPIDEMIC BEFORE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
AND DOCTORS STARTED OVERPRESCRIBING STUFF.
IT WAS CALLED THE HEROIN
EPIDEMIC AND WE WERE LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE THINKING THAT
THAT IS NOT HAPPENING HERE, IT'S HAPPENING AWAY FROM US,
IT'S HAPPENING OVER THERE TO PART OF THE WORLD WE DON'T,
THOSE ARE JUNKIES AND JAZZ MUSICIANS.
WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THEM.
YOU'RE RIGHT.
A LOT OF HEROIN IN THE JAZZ WORLD I YES, THERE ACTUALLY
IS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
THE WHOLE BIRD THING RIGHT?
ITíS A BIG DEAL.
BUT THAT WAS AGAIN,
THAT'S A DIFFERENT OLD-SCHOOL.
ALSO, REAL QUICK, I WONDER WHAT THESE PRO-LIFE
ORGANIZATIONS THINK ABOUT ALL THIS.
I'LL SEE A LOT OF
RIGHT.
IT ALSO DEPENDS ON LITERALLY HOW PRO-LIFE YOU ARE.
ARE YOU PRO-LIFE POST PREGNANCY OR DO YOU COUNT THAT AS AN
ABORTION.