Sheriff Joe...What do you think?

[pixie_dust]

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO:

HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF, AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER

THIS IS WHY:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio created the 'Tent City Jail':

He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.

He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails, took away their weights, and cut off all but 'G ' rated movies.

He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.

Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for discrimination.

He took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal court order that Required cable TV in jails. He hooked up the cable TV again, but only allowed The Disney Channel and The Weather Channel.

When asked why The Weather Channel, he replied, “So they will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs.”

He cut off coffee since it has no nutritional value. When the inmates complained, he told them, “This isn't The Ritz-Carlton. If you don't like it, don't come back.”

He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape and pipes into the jails.

When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that "a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place."

More On The Arizona Sheriff:

With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 degrees just set a new record), the Associated Press reports:

About 2,000 inmates living in a barbed wire surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to strip down to their government issued, pink boxer shorts.

On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatting in the tents, which reached 138 degrees inside the week before. Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and dripped down to their pink socks.

“It feels like we are in a furnace,” said James Zanzot, an inmate who has lived in the tents for one year. “It's inhumane.”

Joe Arpaio, the tough guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates, “It's 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too...and they have to wear full battle gear. But, they didn't commit any crimes, so shut your damned mouths!”

Sheriff Joe was just re-elected Sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona

[annie]

All I can say is.. GOOD FOR HIM!

[Ozme52]

If you don't like it, don't come back.

:D Sounds like good advice.

[Euryleia]

I like that on the website, he has a deadbeat parents hall of shame (including pictures) of those folks that haven't paid their court mandated child support.
MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF (http://www.mcso.org/)

[Rhabbi]

Pixie, you forgot to mention how much he has cost the county in defending lawsuits. This is why he had to cut costs in other areas.

The ACLU has an ongoing suit that he will almost definitely end up loosing because of his treatment of pretrial detainees and convicted criminals in the same way, and the fact that he provides inadequate care to mentally ill prisoners. He is not in compliance with Federal Court orders regarding standards at his jail, including his tent city. At some point his stance is going to bankrupt that county, and the people who are going to pay the price are the ones who keep electing him.

[nk_lion]

No sympathy for criminals in my opinion, good for him

[TomOfSweden]

If you're going to put people in jail, you might as well save money on it.

[thrall]

Even after all of this............they should see what real jail is like..........in Mexico.........not that is jail!

[pixie_dust]

The ACLU has an ongoing suit that he will almost definitely end up loosing because of his treatment of pretrial detainees and convicted criminals in the same way, and the fact that he provides inadequate care to mentally ill prisoners.

While I do not agree with pretrial inmates being held under the same conditions as those who have been convicted, I do respect the way he handles criminals.

As far as mentally ill criminals, where is the judge's accountability here? Ultimately, it is the judge who hands down sentencing, therefore he shoulders the responsibility for ensuring those who are mentally ill are sent to a facility that is equipped to meet that individual's needs.

[Flaming_Redhead]

HELL YEAH!!!! Finally, someone who makes jail NOT a fun place to be where you can lie around in air-conditioned comfort watching movies, eating free food or working out in a gym equipped like a members' only club. A friend of mine's ex-husband worked in the local county jail and told a story about an inmate who threw a fit because he wanted to watch "Smallville" while the other inmates wanted to watch something else. They all had to go back to their cells with no TV. AWWWWWWWWW BOO HOO! You're breakin' my heart! NOT!

[Rhabbi]

While I do not agree with pretrial inmates being held under the same conditions as those who have been convicted, I do respect the way he handles criminals.

As far as mentally ill criminals, where is the judge's accountability here? Ultimately, it is the judge who hands down sentencing, therefore he shoulders the responsibility for ensuring those who are mentally ill are sent to a facility that is equipped to meet that individual's needs.

the interesting thing here is that he continues to violate Court rulings. What are judges supposed to do? the laws are written in such a way that judges have little or no discretion on sentencing. I do not believe that criminals should be coddled, but jails often end up as dumping grounds for mentally ill people because there are no psych facilities for them.

Unfortunately, in this enlightened age, a mentally ill person has a fairly good chance of encountering and being shot by the police.

[Flaming_Redhead]

What are judges supposed to do? the laws are written in such a way that judges have little or no discretion on sentencing.

I have to disagree with you. Just because there are guidelines doesn't mean the judge can't be creative.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-02-24-oddsentences_x.htm

[annie]

Annie, you forgot to mention how much he has cost the county in defending lawsuits. This is why he had to cut costs in other areas.

The ACLU has an ongoing suit that he will almost definitely end up loosing because of his treatment of pretrial detainees and convicted criminals in the same way, and the fact that he provides inadequate care to mentally ill prisoners. He is not in compliance with Federal Court orders regarding standards at his jail, including his tent city. At some point his stance is going to bankrupt that county, and the people who are going to pay the price are the ones who keep electing him.

Annie didn't post the initial story/post.... so Annie couldn't have mentioned what she didn't know!

[Rhabbi]

Annie didn't post the initial story/post.... so Annie couldn't have mentioned what she didn't know!

Noted and corrected, my apologies.

[pixie_dust]

I do not believe that criminals should be coddled, but jails often end up as dumping grounds for mentally ill people because there are no psych facilities for them.

I'm not sure I agree with this. There are many states that "farm out" mentally ill criminals to "secured" mental health care facilities in other states. My own state being one of those who receives these criminals.

It has even become common practice for many states to send prisoners across borders when over crowding in their own prisons becomes an issue.

[Alex Bragi]

I just discovered this post.

An excellent read, Pixie Dust.

Thank you. :)

[pyrogirl]

:madfire: In my line of work I have encountered many of the criminals that are repeatedly released into society and leave prison with no motivation to stay out of prison.
A few days ago a 2 yr old child was shot and killed by a convicted and released drug dealer while he was attempting to execute someone else.The child was caught in the cross fire. Apparenty the time spent in prison wasn't so bad, this guy clearly wants to go back. As far as I'm concerned, individuals like this have no rights, they forfieted them. Period. Explain to the parents of that baby why their child was killed by an "ex-con"
Perhaps if more prisons were operated like Sheriff Joe's the motivation to stay outside would be greater than the motivation to do it all again.
As for the menatlly ill, that's a relative term. There are many degrees of mental illness and there are many etiologies of mental illness. Is it something that is controlled with medication? If so let's fix the medical care issue in our country, make sure that folks who need medication have access to it. The individuals that don't qualify for assistance (not classified as disabled, still physically able to work age group), often end up living on the streets. Oftentimes, they are the victims of crime, not the perpetrators.
Mental illness can be diagnosed by a clever lawyer who is pushing for an easier sentence for their client...."he was abused/neglected as a child and suffers from depression and bi-polar" or whatever....Sorry about your luck, prison is where they should be. As long as individuals are not held accountable for their actions they will continue to behave as they wish. Let Sheriff Joe have their ass.
Prisoners should not be allowed to sue except under very specific circumstances, frivolous, whinny lawsuits should not ever be filed....."I'm suing, my feelings were hurt, my pink boxers damaged my already fragile ego" ....Blahblahblah
So, don't classify all of the "mentally ill" in the same group.
Most of those in prison diagnosed with a "mental illness" belong in Sheriff Joe's tender loving care.
As a taxpayer this is one time where I am willing to eat the cost if it keeps neighborhoods safer for children to be children without the fear of being shot.
Over the last 15 yrs I have seen enough of man's inhumanity to man to actually believe that bringing back public hangings is not a bad idea. Since that is not likely to happen let's pattern more prisons after Sheriff Joe's.
The prisoners cost us millions anyway, I would rather pay to keep them off the streets.
Thank you Pixie! I needed to vent...I am usually much more liberal but this is one area I simply can't be.

[mkemse]

As far as to treament of the inmate go, to me it is very simple "Don't do the Crime if you don't want to do the time"
This way you do not have to worry about living in tent city