R.K. of Naperville, Illinois liked Legal Pub's Harrell Franklin Braddy Solution to reduce the number of our soldiers killed in Iraq (LINK). He inspired Legal Pub to suggest solutions to additional problems such as the cost of animal control. It didn't take long to discover that Sheriff Joe Arpaio (Crazy Joe) of Maricopa County, Arizona had a solution worth exploring.
Who is Crazy Joe? He is the incumbent Maricopa, Arizona Sheriff who created the "Tent City Jail." (See 1999 CNN Photo at left.) Jail meals cost 40 cents a serving and he charges the inmates for the food.
Crazy Joe banned smoking and porno magazines in the jails. He removed all of the weight lifting equipment from the jail and banned all but "G" movies. He created chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. He even created chain gangs for women so that no one could accuse him of sexual discrimination. He removed coffee from the jails since it has no nutritional value.Who is Crazy Joe? He is the incumbent Maricopa, Arizona Sheriff who created the "Tent City Jail." (See 1999 CNN Photo at left.) Jail meals cost 40 cents a serving and he charges the inmates for the food.
Has Crazy Joe's reforms always been legal? No. The sheriff's removal of cable TV violated A Federal Court Order requiring jails to be equipped with cable t.v. so that privilege was reinstated. However, Crazy Joe restricted the channels to The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel. He also piped in Newt Gingrich's lecture series.
How does Crazy Joe handle complaints? Sheriff has been quoted as telling inmates,"This is not the Ritz/Carlton.....If you don't like it, don't come back."
What was the problem?
Maricopa county was apparently spending $18 million dollars a year on stray
cats and dogs.
What did he promise to do about the problem? Sheriff Joe offered to run animal control and promised that he could cut the tax payers bill by at least a third.
What did the Sheriff do? He staffed the animal shelters 100% with prisoners. Inmates
feed and care for all of the strays. Every animal is walked twice daily. Some prisoners have been educated to the point that they are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. Some inmates even conduct classes for the public on animal care and on animal adoption. Some of the animals cared for by the inmates have even participated in dog shows.
Did the Sheriff keep his promise? You bet! His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million (one sixth of the original budget!)
How much does it cost to adopt a dog from the Maricopa County shelter? A dog that is neutered, and current on all shots, with a microchip locater inserted costs approximately $78.
What is in it for the inmates? Inmates are paid the standard $0.28 an hour; however, the real perk is that they get be out of their cells for the day. Inmates are paid from adoption fees. The bulk of the budget is for building maintenance and utilities.
What other programs does he offer inmates? Crazy Joe uses a large farm donated to the county and has the inmates grow the prison's fresh vegetables by hand. He also staffs a hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. Some of the fertilizer is used at a Christmas tree nursery which employs some of the inmates. ( A Christmas tree can be purchased for under 10 dollars that can actually be planted after the Holidays.)
How do voters like Crazy Joe and his "ideas?" Crazy Joe keeps getting reelected.
Does everyone like the Sheriff? No. He is often at odds with ACLU. For example, he painted county buses with murals, that include a phone number to report suspected illegal aliens. The county apparently operates 4 buses just to transport illegal aliens back to the border. In another example, with global warming like temperature over 115 degrees, some inmates lived in tents surrounded by barb wire. Inmates were allowed to strip down to their "pink boxer shorts." Some inmates have complained that it is inhumane. Joe Arpaio, countered that it is hotter in Iraq and our soldiers have to wear full body armor and they did not commit any crimes.
Does Legal Pub endorse his ideas? At the risk of receiving 100s of email from ACLU supporters, yes. It is worth exploring. Perhaps if all prisons were more like Joe's and less like holiday Inns (See Legal Pub Story LINK HERE) repeat offenders may decrease in numbers. Joe's use of prisoners to staff local humane society and government controlled animal shelters is certainly superior to throwing all convicts into an alligator pit as some have suggested in the Braddy case (LINK) and in the case of the alligator who ate the robber (LINK).
Posts
23 comments:
I love the idea! I endorsed the Braddy solution in Iraq. But I would shout on the mountain tops for this solution. Lets bring back the punishment in punishment! This (including the tents) not only punishes the prisoners, but it allows good things to happen. One it may help reform the prisoner. It teaches the prisoner a trade. It teaches the value of life. It also benefits the community. Road clean ups and chain gangs need to be used more frequently.
Ralph
This is inhumane treatment of brothers! Check out the photo. You see any white butts melting in the heat? While I bet there are some, one has to wonder what portion of the tent city jail is made up of minorities? My bet is too many!
Sheriff Joe you are named Crazy Joe for a reason! You got a heart made of stone, you crazy b@st@rd!
Rommie
Those Arizona inmates are some hot cats! The desert heat is too much for most people. I would be interested at what % of Crazy Joe's alumni inmates commit a repeat crime. If his numbers are not better than anyone else's, then there can be no justification for this type of treatment of inmates. If his numbers are better than other jails, then I will rationally listen to supporters arguments. In the mean time, I will reserve judgment until someone posts the statistics.
J.J.
Great idea of Sheriff Joe! Need more like him in this country
where can I send him $$? He needs to run for President.
Super idea. Put criminals to work
1 No more free lunches in America.
. . . Update: Just heard that Mike Tyson will spend 24 hours in on of Mr. Arpaio's tents. Mr. Arpaio said he is shocked that Mike received only 24 hours as his sentence but that he will make sure his 24 hours will be in one of his Korean War tents. . .
Rommie:
I’ve got to say this is not inhumane…might not be lazy ass on the sofa in the air conditioning eating steak and drinking cold beer….but just what claim to high level comfort should criminals have? NONE! They’re criminals. Why should they get given to them what law abiding people can’t get with an honest days work?
And as for the “brothers” comment, just what does that mean? Fellow humans? Fellow males? Fellow English speaking males from the south side of the Bronx who grew up in purple houses? Just what possible identification would one want to claim with criminals?
If you mean….and I guess you do…a racial identification…don’t look at them as a typical _____man (fill in what color you want) …honest, hard working, take care of your family ____ man…look at them as they are…lazy, aggressive, stealing, etc. scofflaws…_____ has nothing to do with it.
Although, I have noticed a disturbing trend….the below is from my experience….not necessarily fairly representative…but it does sadden me.
Version 1.
Arrest insolent kid for _____ (fill in blank) and call parents. Kid does not know where dad is and/or dad does not care and is not involved in raising the kid. Mom, if you can find her, may or may not care enough to come get the kid as she is fighting the world alone with 4 other kids to raise by three different fathers. If by happenstance she does show up, it’s to vulgarly criticize the cops, the victim, the evidence, the…anything but slap some sense into her wayward child. In sum, you can’t prove my kid did it.
Version 2.
Arrest apologetic and cooperative kid. Immediately and easily contact both mom and dad who both quickly respond to deal with their common child. Upon arrival they immediately and politely deal with the cops in an embarrassed and understanding manner. When dealing with the kid they quickly and forcefully bring to his attention the shame and humiliation such actions bring to his family name and leave no doubt in the kid’s mind that all hell is going to be brought down on him. In sum, my kid will never do this again.
There is no racial component here….just interactive, participatory parents with adequate social skills that care about their kids and don’t over extend themselves.
Wonder which kid has the highest odds of ending up in the tents?
Don’t call them “brothers” call them criminals and let them know their actions are unacceptable.
If you don’t, they might just keep on thinking that it’s OK to act that way and raise their kids in their image.
In sum, it isn’t about race…it’s about social skills, attitude, values, education, manners, etc.
Dress you mind for success and leave the racism behind us!
L.S.
L.S., I can dig where Rommie is coming from because both brother and my half brother have been in jail. While your post shows some pretty good smarts, logic is not always the only way to view a problem.
Take your average Howard grad, he may have some smarts but he may not have enough knowledge to spend a week on the streets. So let me break it down. You think criminals are scum. Ok, I get it. But just because someone breaks the law, it doesnt give the man the right to inflict cruel conditions upon the offender.
In other words, just because a man has got to do the time, doesn't mean the man can be tortured.
Crazy Joe is torturing these guys.
Thats all my man Rommie was trying to say... (I think.)
Joe D.
Sorry…I’ve got to disagree.
I’m sure there are linemen for the power company that have to work out in that sun to feed their families. And roofers, and constructions workers, and…but wait, these criminals have shade (tents)?
All I’m saying is that they are no worse off, and no better, than many law abiding people. It’s not torture, it just the living conditions that you get when it’s given to you for free by people who are not real enamored by how you act.
Down right damn shitty living! And I do get that. It sucks. And bad.
But hell, I lived on those nasty Roman noodles, in a nasty run down apartment, and changed oil in other people’s car for a living to pay for my undergraduate work (my dad really believed in honest, hard work).
My dad was homeless on the streets of Chicago, cold and living on tomato soup (that’s hot water and ketchup, mind you) and still managed to follow the law, be honest, and leave my family with a 7 figure trust fund before he died.
There’s just no excuse for criminal behavior. Period.
And living in the natural environment like millions of people do all over the world, while you’re fed by the labor of others, living like a cancerous leach…it’s not torture.
It’s just not the “high on the hog” living even the lowest of those in our great county seem to have (hell, I’ve seen FAT unemployed, homeless people!).
And I’m sorry about your brothers. I am. But I have no doubt in my mind they did that which they knew was wrong. Just stop doing the wrong thing. Stand tall and proud and righteous. It’s hard sometimes. But the true strength of a man is to stand up to wrong.
My dad told me more than once that character is what you do when nobodies’ watching and you can’t get caught. If you do the right thing then…then you’ve got the right stuff…if not, well…
I just don’t get how somebody can do the wrong thing and then expect much of anything.
Torture? No! Down right shitty living? Yes!
L.S.
Good article. Well worth the read.
Pierre
Hard nose Joe, to the rescue!
Hondo
Great source of x-mas trees!
GReat way to take care of the animals (both stay pets and criminals!)
Great way to buy evergreens during the holiday season!
Got my tree. It was great. Thanks Joe.
Crazy Joe aint quite so crazy!
Recently Crazy Joe has apparently come under fire for treatment of illegal imigrants, but Joe, we love ya!
Go Joe!
WE LOVE THIS IDEA! IS THERE ANY WAY JOE CAN COME TO MICHIGAN TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE PEOPLE HERE WHO THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO COMMIT CRIMES SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME OR MORE RIGHTS THAN THEIR VICTIMS? WE NEED MORE CRAZY JOE'S!
Joe ought to run for President and straighten out this whole country!
OK, Rommie blow that picture up and take a closer look. If you really want to go by a picture that only shows 4 of the inmates. I think the Sheriff has a great idea. It may not sound so great but try to keep in mind they are criminals. Can you think of anyone NOT in jail who was able to keep there cable (if they didn't pay) because it was a federal court mandated right? My friend from high school had to go into a program somewhat like this, just kinda like a long camping trip and his appendix burst and they had a helicopter come in and rush him to a hospital.....it's not like if anything seriously wrong happens to these people they would just be allowed to sit there and deal with the pain or die of a heat stroke or something.
Annon, greeting homz. Been a few days since I posted on this noize.
But here goes. When a brother gets busted, he pays his price. But da man got to pay his price too. One of da prices of the man is air condition and cable. Other wize its cruel and unsual punishment. And that sh*tz banned by the constitution.
Rommie
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