USA - forced haircuts in jail?

[fnord]

grandma has a fine set of dreadlocks and has always been worried about the possibility of them being forcibly cut off in jail.under what conditions can they do this?i have read of one jail where all males have to have there hair under 1 inch for security reasons,and federal funding would prevent any jail that recives it from cutting a persons hair if there religion forbids it.

[Evil GIR]

Security reasons ?

I always though that enforced haircuts was more of a hygine thing and to stop the spread of lice. Though would suck to have ya hair choped.

[Police Officer]

Originally Posted by Evil GIR

I always though that enforced haircuts was more of a hygine thing and to stop the spread of lice.

Thats what I believed. An easy way to answer this question is to call the jail that you're scheduled to go to and ask them.

[fnord]

Originally Posted by Police Officer

Thats what I believed. An easy way to answer this question is to call the jail that you're scheduled to go to and ask them.

im not "scheduled" to go to jail,this question stems from a incident where i was held down and had 1 dreadlock cut off for "security" reasons a few years back.one of my dreadlocks had spikes on it and instead of letting me take them out(little spikes with screws on the back like on Gothic kids dog collers)which wold of taken all of 1 minute they decided to hold me down and cut it off.ever since then ive been worried about if they could remove all of my dreadlocks under some similar idiotic "rule".

the thing that bothered me the most is they refused to put the dreadlock in with my property and joked about hanging it up in their break room.while i was an asshole to them during my processing i didint deserve this.

[beentheredonethatagain]

Originally Posted by fnord

while i was an asshole to them during my processing i didint deserve this.

They love inmates who are assholes, it is just a form of free entertainment to them. I always act very cool and polite while visiting the inside of a can.

The path of least resistance, is my recomendation for a smooth ride.

[Police Officer]

Originally Posted by fnord

While i was an asshole to them during my processing i didint deserve this.

Man, nothing good and everything bad comes of acting "uncooperative" in a jail or prison.

Originally Posted by beentheredonethatagain

They love inmates who are assholes, it is just a form of free entertainment to them. I always act very cool and polite while visiting the inside of a can.

The path of least resistance, is my recomendation for a smooth ride.

Yes, it is entertaining.

[fnord]

they claim that people can hide drugs in them,while true it would be hard.

dreadlocks have less of a chance of getting lice then normal hair by the way.

[Bikelbees]

I guess in today's PC world they wouldn't dare cut a Sikh's hair, not sure about the dreads. Obviously, when you go to prison a lot of violations are part and parcel of that loss of rights - but there must be some cases which could be argued for.

[beentheredonethatagain]

Never in all the jails where I have laid my head, has there ever been anyone forced to a haircut, Prison yes . Jail no.

Hair cuts are a privledge and given by another prisoner in your tank , usally when they have been in a little while.

I am only able to speak of the fine instutions that I have called home.

[jakored]

Swim, though male, saw many many persons with larger dreadlocks than an inch. Hygiene is important in general to live amongst the other inmates, but otherwise, swim never heard of a "forced" haircut. 24 months, FCI medium was swim.