NationStates Jolt Archive

I couldn't top the AJC headline (http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/0227gwxdental.html)
Daniel Andrew Wolcott, 22, is awaiting trial in Gwinnett County, Ga., on charges of stealing a $7 million private plane, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports he's unhappy with the jail conditions:

Wolcott's parents, Scott and Diane Wolcott, have been at odds with [Sheriff Butch] Conway since November over dental floss not being allowed in the jail.

They say their son's inability to floss caused him to develop gingivitis and gum pockets, which if left untreated could become full-blown periodontal disease.


Conway came up with a solution, reports the AJC: "I had him moved to a cell with Bart Corbin." Corbin is a dentist who is charged with murdering his wife. "[Corbin's] trained in dentistry, and if there are any complications, they can advise the medical unit," Conway tells the paper. "[Wolcott] just had his wisdom teeth out, so I think it's a good thing he's in a cell with a dentist."

Wolcott's parents aren't amused:

"I'm taking on a very serious health care issue, and I don't appreciate Sheriff Conway making a joke out of it," Scott Wolcott said. "I don't think the Georgia or American dental associations would find it very funny, either."

Maybe not, but it certainly brings a bright, shiny smile to my face.

Why is floss not allowed?

Why is floss not allowed?
Apparently the county doesn't provide it. Maybe it's not allowed because it could become a weapon? Braided into a garote(sp?).

Why is floss not allowed?

Because it's half the necessary items for a handy dandy hacksaw. Believe it or not.

I heard about some inmates that escaped using dental floss and toothpaste as an abrasive to saw though the bars. When you have nothing to do but stare at the walls you can get pretty creative.

But does this sherriff have a great sense of humor! I need to remember to vote for him next election.

I heard about some inmates that escaped using dental floss and toothpaste as an abrasive to saw though the bars. When you have nothing to do but stare at the walls you can get pretty creative.

Yep, but the problem was they were not confined to stareing at the walls as they should have been. They were allowed to run around throughout the unit making it easy for them to work in shifts. Of course older facilities are not this easily breeched as this happened in a brand new unit in Wyandotte County Kansas.
Not a bad lot of guys as far as armed robbers and murders go. I had one as an orderly after he was captured and sent to something more appropriate for his level of criminal skills.

At least Conway isn't Arpaio.

Because it's half the necessary items for a handy dandy hacksaw. Believe it or not.
Come on man, ya gonna tell us what the other half is?

At least Conway isn't Arpaio.
North Georgia is not the desert Southwest, either. I would say that there are plenty of troops living in far worse conditions than our prisoners would have, if we put the prisoners in tents.

I've seen several different formulas they use, but in the case mentioned above they used dental floss coated with a mix of white glue and Pearl Drops tooth polish.
They also used the dental floss as a locking device to make sure the knots in the strips of sheets they used didn't slip. Aparently they tied the floss on either side of the knot in such a way that if the knot started to slip the floss cinched down on the sheet and held it together.
Their mistake was in estimating the distance from their cell block to the ground. They came up about 20 feet short of the ground thinking the roof of the side entrance was the sidewalk.