Inmates Sue Sheriff for Dental Floss

But he says it could be used as a weapon
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 18, 2012 9:34 AM CDT
Inmates Sue Sheriff for Dental Floss
Hey, prisoners have gums too.   (Shutterstock)

Just because you're a criminal doesn't mean you should neglect your gums. Four inmates at the Palm Beach County Jail have filed a lawsuit demanding that the jail commissary stock dental floss, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. They also want monetary damages for their plaque-related "pain and suffering." But Sheriff Ric Bradshaw is having none of it. "I don't care if they file 400 suits, they're not getting it," he says. "You're not the mayor. This isn't the Ritz-Carlton."

It's not that Bradshaw believes inmates should pay for their crimes with their molars; it's that he fears the floss could be turned into a weapon or even a rope. The inmates have a keen interest in the jail's amenities, with 73 arrests between the four of them. They also want standard size toothbrushes, better toothpaste, and mouthwash. They're not alone either; 11 New York inmates recently filed their own $500 million floss suit. (More dental hygiene stories.)

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