Cut for a special cause: Undersheriff, prisoners donate hair to Locks of Love

Helping cancer victims is something a lot of folks can relate to — no matter which side of the law you're on.

Over the past few weeks, two Lake County prisoners and Undersheriff Jay Doyle all had their hair cut and donated to Locks of Love in a show of support for the national organization that helps cancer patients who've lost their hair.

The effort to donate hair by prisoners Tonia "Flower" Gopher and Casey Jo Bair were unrelated to Undersheriff Jay Doyle's contribution — it was a coincidence — but both Doyle and Gopher said it was a good idea for a good cause.

Doyle began growing his hair long over the past couple of years, and planned all along to donate it to Locks, while Gopher made the decision after deciding that prison life was a little less hassle without her long tresses.

"I don't have to worry about it anymore. I was thinking of getting my hair cut short anyway, and it seemed like a good time to do it," said Gopher, who, along with her boyfriend, was arrested on felony criminal mischief charges last September. "Now I can take three showers a day without worrying about clogging the drain or drying it all day."

For Doyle, the promotion last month to Undersheriff meant an increased professional appearance, although his decision to cut his hair was strictly voluntary.

"When I first started growing it I knew at some point I would have to cut it again, and I knew there were people out there that needed it," he said. "I wanted to keep it short for when I was in uniform, and I told [Sheriff] Lucky [Larson] that I thought it was the right thing to do."

Doyle's salt-and-pepper grey hair will be sold by Locks of Love, with the proceeds going to buy hair that can be made into wigs for younger children who are undergoing chemo treatment, or who suffer from other disorders that cause temporary or permanent hair loss.

Gopher originally asked that her hair be placed in storage with her other personal items until her release, but found out that detective Kim Leibenguth was willing to ship it to Locks of Love for her. At Gopher's urging, Bair decided to also donate her hair, and both women got it cut a couple of weeks ago.

Bair was released last Friday, and was unavailable for comment. For Gopher, it seemed like the right time to do it, especially since she's not sure how long she'll be in jail.

"I've wanted to get it cut for so long. My hair was getting too long, but I've never had the courage outside of jail to cut it," she said of her waist-length hair.

Gopher's decision was based on personal and pragmatic reasons.

"My mother-in-law had chemo [treatment] last July. But having it short in jail is a good excuse, because there's no hair to pull in case I get in a fight," she said with a laugh. "I'd rather have a bump on my head than someone pulling it."

Doyle said many people told him not to cut it, not knowing he was going to donate it. He said he's never had anyone complain about its length when he was a detective though.

"Nobody has ever said it was a disgrace to the badge. I'm a first-line descendant of the Tribe, and I think it fit in," he said. "People here are pretty open to that sort of thing."

While Doyle was getting his cut at the Underground Hair Company in Polson last month, Bair and Gopher had theirs cut with clippers from the county jail, as recreation officer Barb Michaud watched.

Both Doyle and Gopher said they have a real sense of satisfaction in knowing they are helping others. For Gopher, it also represented a chance for change within herself, she noted.

"At my last court appearance, my aunt pointed out that I had the shortest hair of the four prisoners there — and the other three were guys," she said. "I'm still debating on keeping it short for jail, but the crazy thing is, it's almost like a new beginning for me."