Florida inmate eats eyeglasses

December 22, 2009

Are prison inmates in need of prescription glasses?

Recently, in Pinellas County, Florida, a prison guard left a jail door ajar, and a nearby inmate seized the opportunity – but not in the way you might suspect. The prisoner seized a pair of eyeglasses from nearby and handed them off to another inmate, who began to break apart and eat the spectacles, according to NBS affiliate NBC4.

It is possible that the inmate ate the eyeglasses in order to receive medical attention and be removed from jail.

The bizarre incident has landed the deputy on duty, John Cascarelle, in some hot water. A memorandum on the event says that Cascarelle did not properly document the event or have the inmate medically evaluated, according to the news source. The incident apparently occurred in August of this year.

However, on the brighter side, there are some inmates who work to put eyeglasses into the hands of those who truly need them. Some chapters of the Lions Club have teamed up with their local sheriff's department to clean and sort donated prescription glasses, so that they're more easily distributed to those in need, according to the Sun Gazette.