Accidental Felons, featured on Jon's Jail Journal

A new Blogger has taken up the baton on Accidental Felons. Shaun Attwood, a prisoner on Arpaio's gulag for 2 years and in Arizona's prison system for 4 more has returned to the UK and speaks about the horrors of living in Arizona. This is both good news and sad. It is good news that the world is shouting a warning to stay away from Arizona. It is sad that all of Arizona's economy is penalized by the actions of 2 elected officials, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Nations throughout the world discourage their citizens from visiting the state and our tourism numbers are reflecting the change in trend.

Arizona could tolerate one rotten apple and Sheriff Arpaio was it. But with the one-two punch of adding a political predatory like Andrew Thomas to an elected "county" position, the entire state now suffers the consequences. Here is what one reader in the UK says:

"Between the criminal record barring things like jobs, education, et al...and the memories...it'd be a simpler proposition to go prey on the society that treated me like an animal for nothing.

So - good. Keep writing about it, all of you. I have ex-cons in my family, and they are screwed. They get out and still have no choice in the matter. You did time, you're a throwaway to society. Least we can do is make their death sentence vaguely comfortable." --Anon