Cool Hand Luc on a Schwinn and a Blues Brothers Tribute in Wichita

A study in contrasts… last week in Kansas a man was sentenced to 122 months in prison for driving his car through the Wichita City Hall.  While halfway around the world, the French are preparing to stage a penal version of the Tour de France with 196 convicts.

In Kansas, Marcus Johnson pleaded no contest to criminal damage to property, making a criminal threat, and battery of a law enforcement officer.  In January 2008, he drove his Lincoln Town Car through City Hall making good on a threat he made to officers that had pulled him over earlier in the evening.

He had been pulled over because his stereo was too loud.  In his own words at the sentencing hearing Johnson explained:
“It got out of hand. I was at Quick Trip one night, and I told an officer I was going to run my car through city hall, and I did. I’m sorry that that happened.”

He also said he was hearing voices the night he drove his car into city hall. The judge also ordered Johnson to pay $142,000 in restitution to the city for the damage he caused. (And silly me I thought Top Gear was the only time I’d see a tribute to the mall scene in the Blues Brothers.)

Meanwhile in France, Reuters reports that:

The 196 prisoners will cycle in a pack and breakaway sprints will not be allowed. They will be accompanied by 124 guards and prison sports instructors. There will be no ranking, the idea being to foster values like teamwork and effort.

The prisoners’  Tour de France will take them 2,300 km (1,400 miles) around the country, starting in the northern city of Lille on June 4 and stopping in 17 towns, each of which has a prison. However, participants will sleep in hotels.

One 48-year-old prisoner from Nantes, named Daniel, said: ‘It’s a kind of escape for us, without actually escaping! It’s a way of breaking away from the daily reality of prison.  If we behave well, we might be able to get released earlier, on probation,’ he added.  A French prisons spokesman said: ‘It’s about fostering community values like teamwork and effort – though security will be in place at all times.

‘We want to show participants that with some training, you can achieve your goals and start a new life.’