I would like to know why Shelby County doesn't mirror this approach ? It would certainly help out our "budget crisis" and it would also probably help reduce crime.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona) who 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 took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal court order
that required cable TV for jails.
So he hooked up the cable TV again only let in 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 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 bought Newt Gingrich' lecture series on 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.
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 chatted 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 1 1/2 years. "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!"
Way to go, Sheriff! Maybe if all prisons were like this one, there
would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be
punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their
parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in
to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to
have for themselves.
My name and address removed for internet usage
P.S. I would love to have this sent to my county commissioners but I could not find e-mail address's for them.