Have you ever thought to yourself or expressed out loud, “That guy ought to be locked up?”
Now’s your chance to follow through.
Beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, call Debby Smith at the Athens Police Department at (256) 233-8707 and tell her you’ll pay her $5 to lock up your friend or acquaintance of choice.
According to city of Athens Human Resources Director Sharon Seay, an Athens Police reserve officer will go out and pick the person up and bring him or her to jail.
“This person will either have to pay $20 or raise $20 in pledges to get out of jail,” said Seay. “It’s not really a jail cell, but it’s a holding cell.”
Seay said the annual “Jail Bail” fundraiser for the American Cancer Society has traditionally been a success.
“I believe we raised about $1,200 last year in Jail Bail,” she said. “The total city goal this year for the city of Athens employees for Cancer Society and Relay for Life is $7,000, and we’ve already raised about a quarter of that.”
The overall goal for Athens and Limestone County combined is $110,860 this year, she said.
“Everybody has a good time with Jail Bail,” said Seay. “Lots of people really get into it. And the people who get ‘arrested’ are really surprised because they never think anyone would have them locked up. I always get locked up.”
