Morgan County, Alabama, Sheriff Greg Bartlett was arrested on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, after a federal judge held him in contempt for serving jail inmates "woefully insufficient" meals. Alabama law allows sheriff's to keep money left over from food budgets for prisoners as personal income. Bartlett claims he made more than $200,000 over a three-year period by pocketing money that could have been used to feed the inmates. Bartlett was released from jail on January 8, 2009, after promising to provide each prisoner with a healthy, balanced meal.al.com: Morgan County sheriff agrees to improve food, stop pocketing food money The CNN Wire: Alabama sheriff jailed for making money off inmates' skimpy meals

"There is no minimum amount of money that the Sheriff must spend on food. Statutory permission to pocket the state's food subsidy does not, however, make it acceptable for the Sheriff to provide less than an adequate amount of food to detainees at the jail."— Melanie Velez, attorney with the Southern Center for Human RightsThe CNN Wire: Alabama sheriff jailed for making money off inmates' skimpy meals