Inhumane Or Genius? You decide...

I got this in an email the other day about Sheriff Joe Arpaio. I had heard about this Sheriff before, seen interviews and commentary about him in the news. His views on prisons and care of prisoners had been very controversial. I personally think the man has his priorities in the right place.

However..Ill let you decided. These are the reasons that this sheriff of Maricopa County Arizona keeps being re-elected.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio created the "tent city jail" to save Arizona from spending tens of million of dollars on another expensive prison complex.
These tents were purchased from Army surplus and are the same type our military use on a daily basis.

He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
As a law abiding citizen don't you also have to pay for your meals?

He banned smoking and porn magazines in the jails, and took away their weight lifting equipment and cut off all but "G-rated" movies. He says: "They're in jail to pay a debt to society not to build muscles so they can assault innocent people when they leave."
Doesn't sound harsh or cruel to me.

He started chain gangs to use the inmates to do free work on county and city projects and save taxpayer's money.
Sounds to me like he's giving them a job that gives back to the community.

Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for discrimination.
We have to be fair to everyone don't we?

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 but only allows the Disney channel and the Weather channel. When asked why the weather channel he replied: "So these morons will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs."
Ok using the word "morons" is sort of harsh. Shame on you Sheriff Joe!

He cut off coffee because it has zero nutritional value and is therefore a waste of taxpayer money. When the inmates complained, he told them, "This isn't the Ritz Carlton. If you don't like it, don't come back."
Sounds like wise advise and career counseling all in one.

He also bought the Newt Gingrich lecture series on US history 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 that actually tells the truth for a change would be welcome and that it might even explain why 95% of the inmates were in his jails in the first place.
Now this does sound slightly inhumane...But since I have never actually heard Mr Gingrich's lecture series..I have to withhold my opinion until I am better informed.

With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 degrees just set a new record for June 2nd), 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.
He cant control the weather....can he?

Hundreds of men wearing pink boxer shorts were chatting in the tents, where temperatures reached 128 degrees. "This is hell. It feels like we live in a furnace," said Ernesto Gonzales, an inmate for 2 years with 10 more to go. "It's inhumane."
No Mr Gonzales...its prison. Hell wont allow you to wear the pink boxer shorts, live in a tent or chat with your friends.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who makes his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches,is not one bit sympathetic. "Criminals should be punished for their crimes -not live in luxury until it's time for parole, only to go out and commitmore crimes so they can come back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoythings many taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves."
What a concept...criminals not being pampered while in jail. Possibly saving tax payer money in the process..Is the man insane???
FYI: They wear pink because for a time it became a fad to purchase clothing that had County Jail stamped on it. By makeing the clothing pink it made it less appealing to buy. Its hard to look like a badass in pink.

He told all the inmates who were complaining of the heat in the tents: "It's between 120 to 130 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are livingin tents too, and they have to walk all day in the sun, wearing full battle gear and get shot at, and they have not committed any crimes, so shutyour damned mouths!"
AMEN! If its good enough for the men and women who defend this nation..Its more than good enough for those who contribute nothing to it.

So tell me what do you think about this Sheriff? Would you vote for him?

I personally think this man is a genius. I would gladly vote for him. As a matter of fact. Put him in charge of our prison system on a national level and he will have my support.

You want a crime deterrent? Then follow this Sheriffs example and make the place you send someone who commits a crime an unappealing place to stay. Even if your not bright enough to keep yourself from the first visit to this type of prison...Id be willing to bet you wont be a repeat customer.

My thanks to Adrian who sent this to me. I do agree with it. Consider it passed on.