Here is Arizona we have what many called "America's toughest sheriff" Joe Arpaio. He is a colorful and controversial character who has instituted severe policies at Phoenix's Maricopa County Jail since taking office in 1993.
Sheriff Joe created the tent city jail, 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. Cut off all but "G" 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 then took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal order that required cable TV for jails. So he hooked up the cable again only let in the Disney channel and the weather channel.
When asked why the weather channel he replied, so that they will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs. He cut off coffee since it has zero 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 brought Newt Gingrich's lecture series videotape that he 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. He also has a "Vacancy" sign up so that people know he will always have room to book arrestees.
Joe has all inmates wearing pink undershorts and sox, he feels there will be less theft with the pink. Last summer when he received complaints of heat from the inmates, he told them: "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!"
What do you think?
Here is a link to Sherrif Joe's site. http://www.mcso.org/
2 comments:
THAT SHERIFF IS A TOUGH ONE! I FOR ONE WOULD NOT WANT TO GET LOCKED UP THERE.
KIM.
Having lived in Arizona since well before Sherrif Joe started his reign of inanity, I can attest to his propensity towards policies that grab headlines rather than what makes us safer. Phoenix (which makes up 80 - 90% of the county Joe is responsible for) still has crime rates above the national average in every category except forcible rape as of 2002. So today he announces his latest great policy. pink handcuffs. yay. i feel soooo much safer already.
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