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srothstein wrote:

sjfcontrol wrote:I can see it now -- Hardened criminal holding a nail clipper, threatening a guard, "Unlock the door, copper, or I'll give you a mani-pedi!"

An even funnier story is really true and explains why at least on jail made sure the inmates had no nail clippers.

Back around 1990, Bexar County built a new jail. As with many things done in South Texas government, there was a little bit of politics played with the construction contracts and subcontracts. So, some materials used in the construction were slightly lower standards than the original contract called for. Things went well though, and the building was completed and inspected and accepted. They were starting to move the inmates from the old jail to the new one. Sometime rather early in this process, the news came out that the guards were confiscating all of the nail clippers that had been issued to the inmates. Yep, they were taking back the issued clippers. And the news media made sure the public knew why. It seems like one of the substandard materials used was the grade of chain link fencing around the exercise yards and building areas. The issued nail clippers were strong enough to cut the fence that was put in. That means the guards were guilty of supplying the means of escape to every inmate.

The nail clippers were taken to prevent the second escape from the jail. The first escape had occurred before any inmates were housed there. One of the inmates on the work parties cleaning and getting it ready escaped before the jail opened. I don't remember it being announced how he got out or if it had something to do with the clippers, but I never did hear a reasoanble story for how they found out the clippers would cut the fence either. It just isn't soemthing I can see a guard testing out of curiosity.

speedsix wrote:...funniest thing I've had happen at jury duty was I walked up to the metal detector archway and put all my pocket stuff in the basket...and the little deputy grabbed my fingernail clipper on my keychain and said "You can't take that in there..."...I said "WHAT?"...she said..."There's a file on it...and you can't take a file in there...it might end up in the jail"...I expressed my opinion about that...then turned to go back to my truck..then said "No...I'm not going all the way back there"...broke off the little pot metal 1 1/4" file and gave it to her...and put the fingernail clipper...capable of much more personal injury or property damage...in my pocket and walked in...and she actually thought she'd done something...
...for an hour and a half after that...I watched people go to the men's room from the jury room...and hold the door open to let folks from the hallway walk straight into the "secured" jury room...and from the street to the bathroom and then to the jury room...completely bypassing the security checkpoint...strain at a gnat and swallow a camel...