In one such jail the kangaroo court tried a prisoner for keeping too close to the stove. He was found guilty and sentenced to spend an hour outside the jail.
As there was a cold rain failing, he protested vigorously against the cruel and unusual punishment, which he eloquently contended violated the constitution.
But the court instructed two of its officers to carry out the sentence, so, while the prisoner intrusted with the keys opened the door, the protesting “offender” was shoved out into the rain. He was let in, drenched to the skin, in half an hour, the court informing him that his time had been cut for good behavior.
The kangaroo court, of course, could not exist without the permission of the jail officials. Sometimes, however, when there are several dominating prisoners in the institution, the organization becomes so strong and well-knit that the prisoners try to use it to enforce demands for privileges against the jail officials; in other words, biting the hand that feeds them.
Usually it’s because the particular hand doesn’t feed them well enough to please them, as such demands almost invariably have to do with the menu. In the event the jail warden is a “weak sister” their demands are very often met.
Or, even if he isn’t weak, he may be lazy or indifferent, or immersed in some outside prison, as many sheriffs are, so that he thinks the easiest way is to let the kangaroo court run the jail the way it sees fit.
The sheriff or jailer who wants to escape trouble in the long run will treat his prisoners fairly, kangaroo court or no kangaroo court, and stop right there, but if he has a kangaroo court he will find the situation much more difficult to handle.
When he awakens to the fact that the situation is getting out of his control it may be too late, as more than one serious beating or even killing of a jail official has resulted from his refusal to meet the demands of a particularly strong kangaroo court.
This is the reason why prison reformers everywhere are making a determined effort to stamp it out. And likewise the reason why they are making very little progress, as the vast majority of hardened jailbirds throughout the country respect nothing in the world but brute strength.