This article caught my eye on jsonline.com this morning:

Defiant woman with TB is jailed
Citing ‘huge health risk,’ judge says she must be detained for six months

Ruby Washington is sitting in the Milwaukee County Jail after a judge gave her at least six months behind bars, deeming her a grave risk to the public.

But Washington, 38, hasn’t been convicted of assault or some other violent crime.

She has tuberculosis. And she won’t take her medicine.

Using a rarely invoked part of state law aimed at uncooperative TB patients, Circuit Judge Clare Fiorenza on Wednesday jailed Washington, the last twist in a tale that shows the difficulty of handling someone with a contagious disease who balks at help.

Fiorenza said she regretted having to incarcerate Washington but had no choice after she repeatedly bolted from treatment over the past four months.

“This is no easy thing, but I don’t know what else to do,” Fiorenza said. “Ultimately, as an adult she makes her own decisions. But by not taking her medicine, she is making decisions for others. She is a huge health risk.”

Health officials said Washington is not contagious now, but could start spreading the disease or possibly spawn a drug-resistant strain of TB if she continues to go off her medicine. She was being held among the general population of the jail late Thursday after county medical staff cleared her, said Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.

The article goes on to say how Washington is a consistent drug and alcohol abuser and has 16 children. SIXTEEN. The youngest, a 5 week old, also has TB. I can only imagine that that poor child isn’t being properly cared for either.

This type of thing just baffles me. I can’t understand how someone can be so oblivious to the fact that she is not only killing herself by not taking her meds, but she is also putting others at risk. Her mind is so clouded that she can’t even see that having more children and slutting herself (she’s a known prostitute as well) around are not a good thing.

I am glad that this judge put her in jail. And not even for a judicial reason, but for the medical reason. I think if she is in a confined, secured place, she will have no choice but to take her meds or ignore them and kill herself. At least that way, she is not putting other people at risk.

The last of this article also gives me hope that the judicial system isn’t just “by the book” and that judges don’t let emotions take a part. Check this out:

After the hearing, as Washington waited to be taken away, Fiorenza emerged from her chambers, without her robe.

The judge walked up behind the patient-turned-defendant, hugged her and whispered, “I just want you to take your medicine.”

What do you think? Did the judge do the right thing in putting her in jail?