With all the usual caveats that I don't know a single thing about Cook County Jail beauracracy, this seems pretty outrageous. The writer, a social worker, recounts a trip to visit a client in the county jail that took over 7 hours. Well, more like 4, since about 3 of those hours seem to have been spent taking public transportation, though maybe she also means to indict the ridiculous CTA trains routes that don't let you go anywhere without going through downtown. Whatever. The point is that the county cares so little about how it treats its prisoners it doesn't even bother putting on a good face for the public. "Oh you want to visit Jane? Too bad, wrong day What? Our automated system told you today was the right day? Oops, we forgot to update it... but you're still out of luck!"

Of course, the irony is that the same beauracratic rigidity that stands in her way ("Make an exception when this is our fault? Bah!") is what ultimately gets her in (how many Michigan social workers have clients in Cook County Jail?).

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