http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12986871/

"Cheyenne County District Judge Kristine Cecava issued the sentence Tuesday. She told Richard W. Thompson that his crimes deserved a long prison sentence but that he was too small to survive in a state prison."

The guy is 5'1" and was convicted of sexually assaulting a child. He could have received up to 10 years in jail.

"A spokesman for the prison system said Thompson's height would not put him at risk among the state's 4,400 inmates. There are protections available in prison to help inmates who feel threatened, prison spokesman Steve King said, but to his knowledge, no one has ever taken advantage of them based on fears related to their height.

"He's not the shortest guy we have in prison," King said. "We've got some short guys that are as tough as nails. We've got people from all ages, physical stature of all sizes, in general population.""

Are people convicted of crimes towards children, and to a lesser effect women, not segregated in your prisons? Such prisoners are kept away from other prisoners in the UK for their own protection, as they do not integrate well due to the distain in which they are held. They are known as Vulnerable Prisoners and include sex offenders, former police officers etc, informers and so on.

I don't know what the Judge was thinking. Some of them live in a reality all to themselves. Since this happened in the U.S. and I believe they elect their Judges I hope the electorate vote his rear out of office.