And Then We Die
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It was an extremely hot, late-July afternoon in the early sixties when Tony Lacoco and Russ O’Riley left headquarters in search of missing work-release prisoners: convicted and sentenced prisoners who had work-release privileges as a condition of their probation on felony charges. Many work-release inmates, including those who were serving their sentences on misdemeanor charges, did not return to the jail as required; and on this particular night, Tony and Russ had been assigned to search only for missing felony inmates.
Tony and Russ were relatively new in the law-enforcement profession. They had both only been out of the training academy for about a year, and since they had graduated they had both been assigned primarily to jail duty. Before being assigned to investigate the whereabouts of missing work-release inmates, they had not been on street duty before, so they were enjoying the experience of doing some plain-clothes street work. As deputy sheriffs, employed by the Milwaukee County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Department, Tony and Russ were certified and fully trained law-enforcement officers with full police and arrest powers throughout Milwaukee County.
Tony was Italian and Russ was Irish. Both officers were tall, muscular and slim. Tony had jet-black, curly hair and a thick, well-trimmed black mustache, while Russ was clean-shaven and had almost fire-red hair. Tony had been married for almost three years but had recently divorced. Russ was married and madly in love with his wife, Gina. He was one of the very few guys on the department who never appeared to be involved in any extra-martial affairs, and he had a new baby boy who was born with a head full of thick, red hair.
There were five escaped inmates they really wanted to nab that evening. Three of the five had had been sentenced to the work-release division for attempted murder, and the other two were serving their sentences for robbery and attempted rape. All five escapees were to be considered armed and dangerous. As far as either Tony or Russ was concerned, none of these convicted felons should have been allowed to serve their sentences under the work-release program. They thought these convicted felons should be serving their jail sentences in a “full grown” prison.
The decisions to allow inmates to serve felony sentences with work-release privileges had been made by the sentencing courts, the district attorneys and the parole officials. Neither Tony nor Russ, nor any other officers assigned to prisoner welfare, had any say-so or input whatsoever as to where convicted felons were ordered to serve their sentences. Their jobs were to make sure the inmates were employed, went to work as scheduled, and spent their non-working hours in physical custody, as prescribed by the court.
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About the Book
This book is based on the actual and true events that happened in both the professional and personal lives of two Milwaukee County Wisconsin law enforcement officers. What they experienced while on duty on a hot summer’s night adversely changed the course of their entire professional, personal and family lives. These types of experiences are neither rare nor isolated; they could happen to anyone – but especially to a disproportionate number of men and women who choose to serve as first responders in the professional field of public safety and National Security; for example, the brave men and women who serve in the military units of the United States of America. Incidents of mental illnesses can occur due to stress and worry after experiencing so many cases of inhumanity and brutality, but for some reason these incidents are dealt with covertly and are kept almost top secret where possible.…
About the Author
Joseph L. Butts is a retired detective who served thirty years with the Milwaukee County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Department. Butts worked jail duty, court duty, motorcycle patrol and squad patrol duties prior to his twenty-year career working plain clothes and full detective duties for violent crimes. He spent many hours in the academy training on how to control scenes and situations where mental illness could be an issue.
After retiring from police work, Butts accepted a position as a counsellor for battered and homeless women and their children for a social service agency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Butts gained knowledge that he never knew existed during the eight years he worked with these young women and their children.
Butts was also the CEO of an alarm installation and monitoring company and did security consultation work for the Milwaukee Public School System and the Milwaukee Housing Authority.
Butts also served many years as a member of the independent hearing board on disciplining and suspensions for the Milwaukee Public School System in the State of Wisconsin.
Joseph L. Butts is also the author of a 265 page paperback “Crime and Other Critical Social Ills…As Seen From Behind The Badge”. This book is non fiction and tells of the many experiences, both gratifying and painful during his 30 year career as a law enforcement officer serving the people of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.