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An Ohio sheriff staunchly defended a so-called “warden burger” served to solitary confinement inmates after a trio of Democrats he lambasted as “the Three Stooges” published a letter criticizing the prison’s practices.
Ohio Reps. Christine Cockley and Mark Sigrist and state Sen. William DeMora published a letter on Jan. 6, imploring the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections to investigate conditions at the Butler County Jail.
In the letter, the Democrats claimed that there is “documented evidence of dangerous and deteriorating conditions” at the jail, including overcrowding, food service violations and heating deficiencies.
The food service complaints largely surrounded the prison’s hallmark “warden burger,” which is given to inmates in solitary confinement as an extra punishment.
The detestable fiber-heavy slop is made of tomato paste, flour, dry milk, oats, beans, ground turkey, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, and garnished with a dash of salt. The mix of ingredients is mashed into a patty and slapped between two pieces of white bread.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones posted a video responding to “the Three Stooges” and their grievances, which he boiled down to “the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“[The warden burger] is approved by a dietician. It’s probably the most nutritious meal we serve. So you don’t like it, it’s not your mommy or your daddy fixing your meal. It’s jail. You only get that when you get in trouble,” Jones said in a video statement on Facebook.
“Fiber’s good for you. A lot of people struggle to get fiber,” he added.
Jones ran through a list addressing the letter’s other allegations and assured that the prison staff would fix any reported heating issues. He also insisted that the jail was roughly 200 inmates under capacity.
An August report released by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, which was cited in the letter, revealed that 805 inmates were held at the county prison — 49 more than the department’s recommended capacity, but 39 below the Butler County Correctional Complex’s listed maximum housing capacity.
In the same report, an inspector found that the jail violated the state’s “important standards” on inmate meals, which require that each prisoner receive the same meals unless they have a health or safety concern.
Jones disregarded the Democrats’ letter and said they only wrote it because “they’re probably whining and crying because I have illegals in my jail.”
“I have 400 illegals in my jail. Don’t come to this country illegally. If you do, sorry, you’re gonna come to jail,” Jones said.
“They’re so hot and so angry, all they see is red. Flames. ‘They’re gonna get Sheriff Jones, he’s a dumb—s, he doesn’t know what he’s doing’,” Jones added mockingly.
Cockley, Sigirst and DeMora called on the state department to conduct an unannounced inspection of the Butler County Jail to address their lengthy concerns. They are also pushing the department to probe why immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are being held with the prison’s general inmate population.
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