You think COs are likely to engage in such illegal and unprofessional behaviour in order to inflict extra-judicial punishment? Yes, I believe so too. But that's un-American. There are principles at stake here, such as the rule of law and separation of powers...and there are innocent men being released from jail all the time after having been wrongly convicted. I don't doubt that this happens but I do not want to encourage it. A guard unaware of the facts of the case must not make such decisions.
But apparently that's like wishing that Chicago cops won't beat their arrestees...
