I was horrified earlier today when I stumbled upon an article about a man infected with TB being held on the jail ward of the Maricopa Medical Center without “TV, a radio, a cellphone, a shower or visitors.” Now, go read the article to get the full effect, then come back and read my rant. 
Okay, I understand the whole quarantine part. But I don’t understand why they won’t let him have any modern comforts. A phone, radio, tv, computer, etc. can not spread TB. And if this room is built for situations such as this, why doesn’t it have a shower? Think about it. He’s been there for 8 months! With no shower? Honestly, from the way this fellow is being treated I’m not sure if they want him to die from the TB, sadness, or of unsanitary conditions.
And don’t start giving Sheriff Joe Arpaio flack about this. For one, I see no mention of him in the story at all. And secondly, as a former law enforcement officer I fully back Joe’s tent city idea and wish others would follow it. But even in Sheriff Joe’s tent city the convicted criminals still get showers and cable tv. Robert Daniels on the other hand, has not been tried on anything. There’s been no mention of a trial in the article. So here he is being treated worse than convicted criminals over something that isn’t even his fault! Did Robert mess up? Yeah, he did. But, and here’s the kicker, he didn’t just get up one morning and ask to be given TB. As far as the TB is concerned he’s the victim.
Now, for the part where the Sheriff’s Dept. did mess up, is when they took away the computer and phone that some nurses had given Robert. That’s just wrong. Here it was donated goods and they still wouldn’t let him have them. Because “It’s a jail ward” says Jack McIntyre, a sheriff’s spokesman. Well that’s just stupid. Again, a computer and a telephone are not going to enable Robert to spread TB. And don’t try saying that they were a security risk. The man is in an airtight locked room with an armed Deputy at the door.
Anyway, I’ve been thinking about this all day and I really would like to do something to help this guy out. I’m not familiar with Arizona’s laws, but the article makes it seem that Randy Ellexson has the authority to make some changes. So here’s what I’m going to do and what I ask everyone that will to do. Call Mr. Ellexson’s office at 480.344.2006 and politely ask him to make Mr. Daniels’s life a bit easier. According to the article the man has a 50/50 chance of surviving this thing. Do we really want what may possibly be Robert’s last days to be spent like this? And, for those who will, please pray for Robert Daniels. Pray that he will live and that this part of his life won’t leave any lasting scars on him or his family.
Really though, this is the first time I’ve seen punishment and detention get confused in this way. It’s usually people who need to be punished just get detained. For once the system finally punishes someone and it turns out to be a guy who’s only suppose to be detained. Go figure.
