Bald behind bars

Wow; talk about irony.

A few months ago, John Chambers III was a prison guard. Soon he will be a prison inmate.

That’s because Chambers was caught smuggling contraband into Beaumont’s massive federal prison in exchange for bribes. That stupid stunt will earn him a two-year stint.

Some of the items Chambers smuggled in were understandable — tobacco, marijuana and MP3 players. When you’re doing hard time, a little smoke and some tunes apparently make it pass easier.

There is, however, one other item that Chambers was caught trying to sneak in, and for the life of me I don’t understand it:

Rogaine.

That’s right, Rogaine. As any bald or near-bald guy will tell you, Rogaine, according to the company Web site, “is the first and only FDA-approved hair regrowth foam. … It’s not greasy and it doesn’t run or drip. It’s so easy to use, it could make getting back your hair one of the easiest parts of your routine.”

Uh, why?

We all want to look good. But when you’re in the slammer, growing a lush, thick head of hair ought to be your last concern. Or so I would think.

If anybody out there in bloggerdom knows why prison inmates need Rogaine, please post a comment.

… Unless it’s something icky.