Sheriff Arpaio Knows How to Secure the Border
Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:00 PM

By: Clayton B. Reid




Hands down, Joe Arpaio is the toughest sheriff in America. And although he is most well-known for his tough treatment of prisoners, Arpaio has over 30 years experience with different federal drug enforcement agencies, and, as the former head of border and drug enforcement in Texas and Arizona, he is one of the country’s leading experts on how to shut down illegal immigration and cross-border drug trafficking.


His is a hard-core, no-frills approach to incarceration, with 10,000 Maricopa County, Ariz., prisoners held in old Army surplus tents, fed on bologna sandwiches, and clothed in black-and-white striped, old-style prison uniforms and pink underwear.


His prisoners have worked on chain gangs, and they are forbidden fancy gyms, cigarettes, entertaining television and even salt and pepper.


Although prisoners would not agree, Arpaio, 76, has become an American folk hero of penology.


His new book, “Joe's Law: America's Toughest Sheriff Takes on Illegal Immigration, Drugs and Everything Else That Threatens America,â€