‘The Arpaio of the East’ Faces His First Opponent in 12 Years. Is Anyone Watching?
A new BOLTS Magazine article looks at the Bristol County sheriff
An excellent article about Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson came out today in BOLTS Magazine, which describes its focus as covering "the nuts and bolts of power and political change, from the local up. We report on the local elections and obscure institutions that shape public policy but are dangerously overlooked, and the grassroots movements that are targeting them. We focus on two areas where local governments play a key role: criminal justice and voting rights."
Obscure institutions, criminal justice, and voting rights certainly all collide in the Bristol County Sheriff. Hodgson runs an opaque, if not secretive, institution that most people don't pay enough attention to. His depraved treatment of his inmates turns criminal justice on its head. And Hodgson, in particular, is among the leadership of Protect America Now, a far right group of sheriffs who have threatened to meddle in elections. Thus, Hodgson was an ideal subject for BOLTS’ in-depth look.
In his article Alex Burness touches on a number of sorry aspects of Hodgson's tenure as sheriff — suicides, mistreatment, lawsuits, jail conditions, lousy food, civil rights violations, and Hodgson’s sloppy and unprofessional management of the jail. Burness didn't go into a lot of detail on Hodgson's extremism — something I wish more journalists would do — but he covered enough to remind everyone why Bristol County so desperately needs a new sheriff.
Read the full article in BOLTS.