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Outagamie County Jail to Sell Tampons to Inmates

I don’t even know how to comment on this story.  I’ll leave it to you ladies in the audience.

In a minor feminist victory, menstruating female inmates can now buy tampons at the Outagamie County Jail.

Until this week, jailed women only had the option of using sanitary napkins, rather than tampons. Tampons absorb the menstrual flow inside the body. Sanitary napkins don’t, leaving the user feeling as if she’s wearing a sticky diaper.

“It’s archaic,” said Supv. Anne Strauch, who raised the issue — along with inmate health care and solitary confinement — at a recent meeting of the county’s public safety committee. She is the first woman to serve on the committee in nine years and its only female member.

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Women in the jail have been making their own tampons out of the jail-issue sanitary napkins, a craft the longer-term inmates taught newcomers, a former inmate told Strauch. If made badly, women had trouble removing them.

Capt. Dave Kiesner, the jail administrator, added tampons this week to the list of items prisoners can buy from the jail’s commissary, mirroring the state prison system’s policy. Sanitary napkins still are free.

The jail once provided free tampons, Kiesner said, but the jail’s health care contractors were concerned about the potential relationship between tampons and infection. Also, he said, some of the inmates used the free tampons to curl their hair. The jail will now sell a box of eight for $3.

Posted by Owen at 1733 hrs
Law + Off-Duty

1. Also, he said, some of the inmates used the free tampons to curl their hair.

   Okay, that’s funny.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 31, 2009 at 1807 hrs
   
   
   

2. I don’t even think we know how to comment on this one…

   Agreeing with Wendy…. 

   Posted by GAMazy on March 31, 2009 at 2213 hrs
   
   
   

3. I don’t even think we know how to comment on this one…

   Yeah, that. 

   Also agreeing with Wendy.

   Posted by hsgbdmama on April 01, 2009 at 0649 hrs
   
   
   

4. I agree with all of the above.  Yikes!

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on April 01, 2009 at 0802 hrs
   
   
   

5. I imagine bidding in poker and paying off stoolies is going to take an interesting turn.

   Posted by tee bee on April 01, 2009 at 2006 hrs
   
   
   

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