Jail: US v. Mexico

I recently met with a potential client who is a Mexican citizen. He doesn’t reside in the United States and is absolutely terrified of doing any time in jail in Arizona. That isn’t exactly an unusual feeling for a person to have, but this guy should be capable of holding his own in a tough situation. He is familiar with our country. I don’t want to say what he does for a living, not because it is illegal, but because I don’t want to impact his career in case someone starts snooping into his life. Suffice it to say, this guy shouldn’t really be worried about a few days in the county jailhouse.

It got me thinking. Do people in Mexico fear our jails like a lot of Americans fear Mexican jails? I have no experience with Mexican jail, but I have to say the thought crosses my mind every time I’m in Mexico that I could accidentally end up incarcerated south of the border, where terrible things might ensue. I think my fear comes from urban myths and the general misunderstanding of Mexico that I share with most of my fellow Americans.

It makes me wonder if he knows something I don’t. Maybe our jails are worse than Mexican jails. Maybe Mexicans get treated very harshly in Maricopa County.