Bristol County Sheriff offers to send inmates to build Trump’s wall
By Kirsten Glavin
@kirstenglavin
BRISTOL COUNTY, MA – Bristol County Sheriff, Thomas Hodgson, announced Wednesday night that he has made a formal proposal to President-Elect Trump, calling for inmates at the house of corrections locally, and others across the country, to build the infamous wall at the Mexico border. The announcement came in the sheriff’s inauguration speech, after Governor Charlie Baker swore Hodgson in for a 4th term as the Bristol County Sheriff.
"I’m making a formal offer to President Trump, that inmates of Bristol County and others from across the nation through project N.I.C.E will help build the wall,” Hodgson said at the podium. "I can think of no better project that would have such a positive impact on our inmates, or our countr,y than building this wall."
When asked if he was using his inauguration and title for political reasons, he said it was not a political stunt and that it is simply the right thing to do.
"This is nothing political- this is not political – there is no political gain for me… I’d like to see us do this,” he told media outlets in a private interview session. Instead, the Sheriff equated the initiative to volunteers helping with disaster relief. "This makes all the sense in the world, we have federal resources… you’re going to get the free labor."
But the Massachusetts ACLU in Boston told ABC6 News they were outraged by the proposal, saying it equates to modern day slavery.
"We’re talking about taking people, who are probably some of the most vulnerable people in our population, and doing something that is equated to modern day slavery,” said Laura Rotolo of the ACLU.
Rotolo added that the wall itself is based on racism and hate, and that if this proposal moves forward, the organization will take action.
"If Sheriff Hodgson does go through with this gimmick of his, the ACLU of Massachusetts stands ready to use every tool in our tool kit to fight it. Including litigation."
