I don’t know of too many articles that scream bleeding heart like this one did to me. This is the story of Sheriff Mark Curran of Lake County, Ill. He’s in his own jail…voluntarily. He just wants to “better understand the inmate experience.”

Well, he wants most of the inmate experience. He’ll skip the beatings:

Real inmates bunk together in a cell, but Curran will sleep in his own cell for safety reasons. He was locked up Wednesday.

“I want some introspection but let’s be realistic. I’m never going to be able to completely create that scenario,” Curran told The Associated Press by telephone from jail.

Curran said he’s also trying to draw attention to the fact that jails are overpopulated with the mentally ill, the uneducated and repeat offenders. Rehabilitation needs to be a focus, he said.

As if that isn’t bad enough, it actually gets worse. He laments “the fact that jails are overpopulated with the mentally ill, the uneducated and repeat offenders” and that some of the guys recognize him as sheriff, making it that much harder to gain their trust.

“There might be some skepticism amongst them,” he said. “You break down the walls as much as you possibly can.”

Generally it is bad form to talk of “breaking down walls” when you are locked up. Perhaps if he really wants to experience being locked up he could travel to Maricopa County. I’m sure Sheriff Joe would be happy to accommodate him.

Honestly, would you vote for this guy after a stunt like this? It’s been my experience that folks who are locked up are never short of things to complain about. He could have just asked them with a uniform on and been a lot less suspicious. Instead, he looks like a bleeding heart, soft on crime liberal.

I’m guessing this will hurt his chances for re-election.