The County Workhouse

It was the summer of 1972, when Jessica, a girl from a family of means in New England was driving down a two lane country road in Alabama. She had just dropped her younger sister off at the University of Alabama and was now heading home to Rhode Island to start her post college career.

Driving her MG down the road, listening to an eight-track tape of the Beatles, she was unaware of the county sheriff's car behind her. Before she noticed it was behind her, she heard the wail of the siren, and then saw the red light flashing on top the patrol car. She turned down the music and slowly down shifted the car and pulled it off the road as far as she could and came to a complete stop.

Looking in the rear view mirror she watched the Deputy exit the car and putting on his hat. She noticed the deputy walking towards her car with his right hand resting on top of his holstered 38 special.

The deputy arrived at her driver's door and stood down looking at her.

"Do you know how fast you were going?" he asked.

"Hmmm, no sir, I don't." she replied.

"I clocked you doing forty five miles per hour. The posted speed limit is thirty miles per hour. May I see your driver's license and registration please?"

"Yes sir." Jessica replied as she grabbed her purse from the passenger seat and then pulled it on to her lap, where she proceeded to open it up and taking out her wallet. She removed her driver's license and then leaned over to the glove box to get the registration. When the glove box opened a joint rolled out and landed out on the floor on the passenger side.

As the joint was falling in what seem like slow motion for Jessica the words "fucking sister" passed through her mind.

"Ok ma'am, get out of the car." the deputy instructed her.

Not wanting to make matters worse, Jessica did as she was asked. Once out of the car, the deputy grabbed her by the right arm and pulled her towards his car. He had her put her hands on the hood on trunk and then kicked her legs open.

"Stay where you are. I'm going to have to search you." he commanded.

Jessica's heart was racing not knowing what was going to happen next. The deputy's big hands began to pat her down and he grouped her tits and then put his hands in the pockets of her jean shorts to make sure she was not hiding anything. He even went and far to undo the front of her shorts and put his hand inside her panties feeling her thick bush. When he was done, he began to cuff her as he told her she was under arrest for possession of an illegal substance. He fixed the front of her shorts and then put her in the back of the patrol car before going back to the car to retrieve the joint off the floor.

Returning to his car, he got in and picked up the mike to the radio, called in his location and asked for a wrecker to be dispatched to pick up the car. Once he had received confirmation of his call, he started up the car and turned the car around heading back towards the small town. After a twenty minute drive, the deputy pulled into the Sheriff's Office and Jessica was in a near panic about everything. She thought about her parent's reaction and what would this do with her new post college career.

The deputy got out of the car and then opened up the left rear passenger door and helped Jessica out of the car. He held her cuffed wrists as he led her into the office. When they arrived inside the old building, Jessica noticed only one other deputy and a lady who provided administrative assistance. She was taken behind the counter towards the rear of the building to where the cells are located. He removed a set of keys from his belt and opened up a cell door, then removed her handcuffs, before pushing her into the cell before closing it locked.

Jessica was sprawled out on the floor and saw the deputy out of the corner of her eye as he walked away. Jessica looked around the old cell and saw a sink and toilet in the right rear corner. On the left side of the cell was a simple metal bed frame with a cheap mattress which contained many stains as if it had never been washed.

Jessica walked over towards the bed and sat on it and leaned her head down with her chin resting of the palms of her hands and began to cry. She was so pissed that her sister left the joint in her car and what she though would be a nice drive home before the end of summer had some how turned into a nightmare.

She heard foot steps coming down the short hall way and as she looked up she saw the lady from the front desk. The lady wore a simple shirt and blouse. Jessica noticed the blouse looked about a bit small making the woman's cleavage pronounced against her otherwise small frame.

"No don't fuss little lady. The judge will being seeing you shortly and I'm sure you'll be released soon. Not many folks actually stay the night in jail." Peggy informed her.

Jessica picked up her head and wiped the tears away with the news. "Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome. I'll be back in about ten minutes to get you to see the judge." Peggy replied as she turned around and walked back to her office with a smile upon her face.

Jessica's mood seemed to improve a great deal with the news. Before long Peggy had returned and opened up her cell door. Jessica slowly walked out of her cell into the hallway. Peggy closed the cell door and took Jessica down the hall she came in and the made a right turn down another hall towards an old door made of mahogany. Peggy opened the door for her and Jessica walked into the local court room. Peggy pointed to the chair for her to sit in and that the judge would be in soon.

Jessica sat nervously as she watched the sheriff walk in and take a seat. She tried not to make eye contact. She recalled how he fondled her and put his hand down her pants. Another set of foot steps could be heard and Jessica turned around and noticed a lady in her mid forties enter the room. The lady appeared stocky and wore a uniform of sorts. She noticed the belt around the lady contained a case for handcuffs and a black shinny baton hung off her left hip. The bailiff then entered the room from a door to the left of the bench and announced. "All rise for the Honorable Judge Jefferson."

Everyone stood at the judge entered the court room and then took his seat. He looked at the papers and then Jessica.

"I don't tolerate speeders much less druggies in my county. After reading the sheriff's report, I find you guilty of speeding and possession of an illegal substance. You are hereby ordered to serve twelve months in the county work house for women. Your car and possessions will be forfeited as well." He then pounded his gavel and the bailiff then told the room to rise as Judge Jefferson stepped down from his bench and left the court room.

Jessica was shocked that she was not given a chance to say anything. The lady in the uniform walked over to Jessica and pulled her from the chair she was sitting and cuffed her wrists tightly behind her back and was lead out of the court room back though the way she entered. As she was walking through the sheriff's office Peggy looked at Jessica and said "I told you, you would not be staying the night here. I'm sure the ladies at the work house are just going to love seeing a sweet thing like you there. I'm also going to love driving your fancy sports car as well."

Jessica was escorted out the building and the lady opened the back doors of a van with a wire cage in the inside and pushed Jessica in before climbing in. Jessica's legs were then chained to a ring in the floor of the van. The lady then got out, closed the doors and proceeded towards the driver's door. She entered the van, started the engine and then pulled out from the parking lot. As the van headed down the road towards the work house, she looked in the rear view mirror looking at that fresh piece of meat she would get the pleasure of knowing the next year.