Thread: YES VACANCY, NO TOLERANCE

Hesitate to put this in general news and yet personally I believe it belongs here. If another mod disagrees please feel free to move it.
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YES VACANCY, NO TOLERANCE
RYAN ORR
2007-04-21 22:53:00
Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County sits in his office in Phoenix, Ariz. Behind him is a Tent City Vacancy sign signifying there is always room for more at the jail. Last year, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department booked and released 29,878 inmates who spent just hours in jail — all because of overcrowding.

A few hundred miles to the east in Maricopa County, Ariz., “America’s toughest sheriff,” Joe Arpaio, is also facing a serious overcrowding problem. But in his 15 years as sheriff, Arpaio said he’s never released an inmate even one day early.

Local jail overcrowding has forced San Bernardino County to consider spending $508 million to house 4,156 inmates. Arpaio is currently putting up dozens of tents to house 500 inmates at a fraction of the cost of building a new jail facility.

Back in San Bernardino County, 2,000 sentenced inmates last year were released early — due to overcrowding.

“We release people on a daily basis,” said Glen Pratt, deputy chief in charge of corrections.

“I would never do that,” Arpaio said. “I would be in my grave before I’d do that.”

The problem of jail overcrowding — and its impact on public safety — has sparked radically different approaches between the two counties.

In San Bernardino County, the focus is on the wellbeing of the inmates. They promote rehabilitation and are under a court order that limits the number of inmates that can be held in two of the county’s largest jails.

“We’re under an obligation that we have to protect these inmates,” Pratt said. “We’re their care giver.”

In Maricopa County the focus is on punishment — not rehabilitation. And Arpaio’s inmates have few privilages in an effort to convince inmates to never come back. And for those who don’t get Arpaio’s message, he’s happy to keep on putting up more tents.

“I’ll put tents up from here to Mexico, so I don’t care,” Arpaio said.

San Bernardino County is in the process of expanding the Adelanto jail and Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center that will add 1,156 beds for $128 million.

San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt said that there are also talks of building a 3,000-inmate jail in Apple Valley for the estimated cost of $380 million.

The 4,156 new beds would help curb the overcrowding problem but wouldn’t solve it. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department booked 111,000 people last year.

According to a San Bernardino County grand jury report, in 2005 nearly 40 percent or more than 42,000 inmates who should have otherwise been in jail were released due to overcrowding.
Juvenile jails were so crowded in 2001 that the county got permission from the state to house them in tents, Mitzelfelt said.

Due to state standards, the tents had to have heating, air-conditioning,
flooring, wooden framing and extra security. In the end, the tents didn’t end up saving much money.

In Maricopa County, Arpaio houses inmates in Korean War-era tents that he gets for free. The land Arpaio built Tent City jail on was also free because it is located next to a dog pound and a dump.

Arpaio is less concerned with conditions and unnecessary amenities. In 1993, inmates in Tent City destroyed the air conditioners and Arpaio did not replace them.

Arpaio said he believes that inmates should never live better in jail than they do on the outside. In Maricopa County, they don’t.

“I have confidence that I could go anywhere in this country including your county and put tents up and I’ll get by with it,” Arpaio said.

The San Bernardino County jail problem is not subsiding and residents can only wonder how many prisoners will be released next year that should otherwise be in jail to add to the number already walking the streets.

Meanwhile, Arpaio will happily accommodate all inmates in his facilities, and the vacancy sign that towers over Tent City will continue to flash 24 hours a day, seven days a week to serve as a reminder that there are no short cuts to getting out of his jails early.


In Monday’s paper, learn more about Joe Arpaio, including his 15-cent meals.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/onset?id=77 ... ticle.html

punishment — not rehabilitation.
Most guys on there third and fouth and fith and sixth time in jail dont need rehabilitation.
They need tent city , and surly never released before thier time is up.
I have alwas loved the tent city Idea.

I personaly belive that if you do the crime, you do the time and thats that.

Why dont we let the criminals pay, pay for the tents pay for the lights and grow there own food .
what ever money they come up, what food they grow pays for the tent they get, and the dinner they eat..
bet it changes the problem [/b]


"criminals dont get to pick and chosse, thier victims didnt why should the crimi nals"


Sheriff Joe Arpaio will alwas have his job aslong as America want to put a stop to crime.