Alabama Slammer: Man Jailed 99 Times in Three Decades

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Press-Register

William Bankston is only 47 years old, but he’s already racked up more than double his age in visits to the Mobile County Metro Jail.

His official tally stands at 99 bookings, stretching back more than three decades. Bankston’s first arrest came in 1981 for being a pedestrian under the influence. After that, his frequent boozing kept him coming back. In fact, the (Mobile, Ala.) Press-Register notes that only 15 of his arrests were for something other than public drunkenness. The paper estimates he’s spent 347 days in jail in the past 10 years.

(Photos from TIME.com: See the world’s most humane prison.)

One lieutenant said that Bankston’s a common yet pleasant fixture at the prison. “He’s a humble person and he’s a very respectful person. He’s not a troublemaker when he’s here,” she told the Press-Register. That’s a fact proven by his revolving-door record at the jail – otherwise they’d just keep him there, right? NewsFeed isn’t sure if Bankston is going for some kind of record here, but he might want to give Guinness a call. Those 99 mugshots would tell quite a story of his life.

(Video from TIME.com: See one man’s transition from prison to parole.)

What’s ironic is that Bankston’s 99th booking last April included a charge of “resisting arrest.” NewsFeed thinks he’d be used to it by now. (via Press-Register)