Joe Arpaio
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Joseph M. (Joe) Arpaio (born June 14, 1932 in Springfield, Massachusetts) is a law enforcement officer who is notable as the current sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona.
Arpaio has been called "America's Toughest Sheriff" for his controversial approach to operating the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, mainly in regards to his treatment of inmates. He has a large number of vocal supporters for his toughness on crime and criminals, but many civil libertarians denounce him for his willingness to ignore constitutional rights in favor of blind enforcement.
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[edit] Biography
Joe Arpaio was the child of immigrants from Naples, Italy. His mother died during childbirth and his father had little interest in raising young Joe. As a result, Arpaio spent his childhood being shuffled back and forth between different families, depending on who was able to care for him.
Arpaio enlisted in the United States Army and served from 1950-1953. According to an April, 2001 article in Harper's magazine, Arpaio has stated that he is a veteran who served at the time of the Korean War.
Following his discharge, he moved to Washington, D.C. and then to Las Vegas, Nevada, serving on the police force of both cities over a five-year period.
He married Ava Arpaio in 1956. The couple currently have two children and four grandchildren.
After his stints with the local police forces of Washington and Las Vegas, Arpaio obtained a job as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, working with DEA for 32 years. During that time, he was stationed in both Turkey and Mexico, and advanced to the position of head of the DEA's Arizona branch, where he served for four years before retiring.
Arpaio successfully campaigned for the office of Maricopa County Sheriff in 1992. Since then, he has successfully won re-election in 1996, 2000, and 2004 with considerable support of the county voters.
[edit] "America's Toughest Sheriff"
During his tenure as Maricopa County Sheriff, Arpaio has instituted or strengthened several community programs to lower crime and protect the safety of citizens, such as:
- bicycle registration,
- block watches,
- child identification and fingerprinting,
- Operation Identification (for marking valuables),
- Operation Notification (which identifies business owners during times of emergency),
- Project Lifeline (which provides free cellular phones to domestic violence victims),
- S.T.A.R.S. (Sheriff’s Teaching Abuse Resistance to Students), an anti-drug campaign, and
- an annual summer camp for kids near Payson.
One of the most successful programs maintained by Arpaio is the all-volunteer Posse program. Though Maricopa County operated the Posse for 50 years prior to Arpaio's election, Arpaio greatly expanded the program through heavy recruiting. The volunteers perform many duties for the sheriff's office such as search and rescue, emergency communications, prisoner transport, traffic control, backup for sworn deputies, office administrative duties, the Holiday Mall Patrol (which provides motorist assistance and security for shoppers during the holiday shopping season) and deadbeat parent details target men and women with outstanding arrest warrants for failure to pay child support.
Arpaio has also included on the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office website an online "deck of cards" featuring pictures of deadbeat parents, amounts owed and last known whereabouts. Later, he published mugshots of all inmates booked into the county jail, which are available for viewing on the county website.
He attends some of the Phoenix police's community activities personally, going as far as making free autograph show appearances several times a year. In 2001, he oversaw security at the former Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) for the World Series that pitted the Arizona Diamondbacks (the eventual champions) against the New York Yankees.
In the fall of 2006, Arpaio could be seen in political advertisements for Proposition 204, which in effect limits animal cruelty in farming.
[edit] Changes to Jail Operations
Arpaio believes that inmates should not be treated better than the average citizen. Thus, upon his initial election Arpaio began instituting the controversial changes for which he would later become noted.
Arpaio began to serve inmates surplus food (mainly outdated and oxidized green bologna) and limited meals to twice daily. Meal costs would be reduced to 90 cents per day; as of 2007 Arpaio claims that he has managed to reduce costs to a mere 15 cents per day. Certain food items were banned from the county jail, mainly coffee (which also reduced 'coffee attacks' on guards), but later salt and pepper were removed from the jail (at a purported taxpayer savings of $20,000/year).
Arpaio banned smoking in the county jail. He also removed pornographic magazines (the ban was later upheld in court) and weightlifting equipment. Entertainment was limited to only G-rated movies; the cable TV system (mandated by court order) was severely blocked by Arpaio to limit viewing to those stations Arpaio deems to be "educational", mainly Animal Planet, Disney Channel, The Weather Channel, Food Network, and the local government access channel.
Arpaio also instituted a program for inmates to study while in jail and to try to recover from drug abuse. Hard Knocks High claims to be the only approved high school program in any American jail. Another jail program, called ALPHA, is aimed solely at getting inmates away from drug abuse.
In October 2005, Arpaio started mandatory 2-week English classes for non-English-speaking inmates at his jails. Classes last 2 hours a day. The curriculum comprises the three branches of government, how a bill becomes law, state government, law enforcement and court services, and jailhouse "situational" terminology. At the end of the 2-week course, inmates are required to take a test to see how well they have learned about American government, the words to God Bless America, and the communication of health and safety needs. In response to critics, Arpaio responsed, "These inmates happen to be incarcerated in the United States of America and in Maricopa County where I run the jails, we speak English here, not foreign languages."
In February 2007, Arpaio instituted an in-house radio station, KJOE, which broadcasts classical music, opera, Frank Sinatra hits, obscenity-free patriotic music, and educational programming, from the basement of the county jail. The station airs four hours each day, five days a week. Future plans are to institute "Inmate Idol", a takeoff on the popular TV show.
Of Arpaio's changes, the most notable (and controversial) have been the reintroduction of chain gangs, the implementation of pink underwear, and the building of Tent City.
[edit] Chain Gangs
Shortly after taking office, Arpaio reinstituted chain gangs, the controversial form of inmate labor which had been virtually eliminated in the United States.
Arpaio believes that chain gangs are not a form of punishment, but instead of rehabilitation. Inmates who are low-risk but with a history of jail incidents can apply to serve as free labor. Inmates work eight-hours a day, six days a week (Sundays off), mainly outside. The inmates wear traditional black-and-white striped uniforms (see below for more details) with a cap to protect against the desert heat. Inmates perform such tasks as creating fire breaks, removing trash, and burying indigent persons in the county cemetery.
Arpaio would expand the chain gang concept by instituting the world's first female chain gang. Female inmates work seven hours a day (7 AM to 2 PM), six days a week.
Arpaio has expanded the concept even further, instituting the world's first all-juvenile chain gang.
[edit] Think Pink
One of Arpaio's most noted changes was the introduction of pink underwear. Arpaio noted that the traditional white underwear, labeled with Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, was being smuggled out of the jails and sold on the streets. Arpaio thus had the underwear dyed pink, believing that pink is not considered a "macho" color, and would not be stolen. Interestingly, once the public learned of the change, requests came in for orders, and Arpaio began selling customized pink boxers (with the Maricopa County Sheriff's logo and "Go Joe") as a fund-raiser for sheriff's operations.
Arpaio would subsequently introduce pink handcuffs among sheriff's deputies, who were taking the traditional silver-colored ones [1]. Later, when Arpaio learned that the color pink has a known psychological calming effect, Arpaio began dying sheets, socks, towels, and all other fabric items in pink.
However, the outer uniform is not pink, but traditional black-and-white. This was part of another Arpaio-instituted change. One day, Arpaio thought he saw an inmate escapee in the then-existing sea-green inmate uniform outside the jail (it turned out to be a hospital worker in scrubs). Later, he noted that the orange uniforms of the chain gangs were similar to uniforms used by county workers (the orange being needed for safety). Believing that inmates should be easily identifiable should they escape, Arpaio reinstituted the traditional black-and-white inmate uniforms, which even with the advent of everything else being pink has not changed.
[edit] Tent City
The most noted, and controversial, of Arpaio's ideas was the set-up of "Tent City" as an extension of the Maricopa County Jail.
When Arpaio took office, inmates were routinely being released early due to overcrowding. Arpaio believed that "courts, not head count" should determine when an inmate is released, and that no officer should be deterred from making an arrest for fear that the inmate would be released due to jail overcrowding.
However, a new jail would have cost Maricopa County taxpayers around US$70 million. So instead, Arpaio obtained several used tents from the military, and established Tent City in a parking lot adjacent to one of the jail facilities, for a reported cost (mainly cement pads, fencing, and cooling fans) of around US$100,000. As an announcement to future inmates that they should not expect early release upon overcrowding, but more tents instead, Arpaio added a (pink neon) "Vacancy" sign to the outside of Tent City. The original sign was destroyed in an inmate riot, but was quickly replaced. A second Tent City was opened in 1996 adjacent to another jail facility, and houses female inmates.
During the summer of 2003, when outside temperatures exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit (higher than average, even for scorching hot Phoenix) Arpaio said to complaining 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 mouths!"[2] However, inmates were given permission to wear only their pink underwear.
Tent City has been blasted by groups contending these are violations of human and constitutional rights, and simultaneously praised by those favoring Arpaio's "get tough on crime" approach.
In response to requests, the Sheriff's office offers group tours of its unique and controversial Tent City.
[edit] Controversy and criticism
Many feel that Sheriff Arpaio's actions are based less on a desire to serve the public and to lower crime, but on demagoguery and grandstanding that hurt the public welfare. Amnesty International issued a report critical of the treatment of inmates in Maricopa County facilities [3].
Criticism has also resulted due to lawsuits filed against the sheriff’s office by family members of inmates killed in jail custody and in highspeed pursuits involving deputies. The lawsuits have cost Maricopa County more than $13.7 million in settlement claims.
[edit] The Scott Norberg case
One major controversy includes the 1996 death of inmate Scott Norberg while he was in custody. Norberg was arrested for chasing two young girls in Mesa, Arizona. Arpaio's office repeatedly claimed Norberg was also high on methamphetamines, but a blood toxicology performed post-mortem conclusively proved this was not true. During his internment, detention officers shocked Norberg more than 20 times with a stun-gun, including on his testicles. According to an investigation by Amnesty International, Norberg was already handcuffed and face down when officers dragged him from his cell and placed him in a restraint chair with a towel covering his face. After Norberg's corpse was discovered, detention officers accused Norberg of attacking them as they were trying to restrain him. The cause of his death, according to the Maricopa County medical examiner, was due to "positional asphyxia". Sherrif Arpaio investigated and subsequently cleared County detention officers of any criminal wrongdoing. [4]
Norberg’s parents filed a lawsuit against Joe Arpaio and his office. The lawsuit was settled for $8.25 million (USD) following a highly contentious legal battle. Despite vowing to never settle, the case quickly closed after it was disclosed the Sheriff's office had destroyed key evidence in the case.
[edit] The Brian Crenshaw case
Brian Crenshaw was a blind inmate allegedly beaten into a coma by guards working under Arpaio. Crenshaw suffered injuries that included a perforated intestine and a broken neck. He later died at a local hospital. When asked about the incident, Arpaio insisted, "The man fell off a bunk." [5]
[edit] The Fountain Hills prank calls case
During April, 2004, Arpaio became involved in more controversy when he accused the West Bridgewater, Massachusetts Police Department of being unprofessional over their handling of surveillance tapes from an AT&T store that showed a suspect making prank calls to several restaurants. The calls instructed restaurant managers to strip-search female customers — minors included. Several managers were arrested as a result. Arpaio believed that the suspect in the tapes from West Bridgewater might be connected to a similar case in Fountain Hills, Arizona. In response to Arpaio's comments, West Bridgewater Sheriff Raymund S. Rogers was quoted as saying "I think he's mad that our detectives just happen to be better than his detectives". [6]
[edit] James Saville
James Saville was arrested in 1999 for attempting to murder Joe Arpaio. A jury decided that officers from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department had entrapped Saville and found him not guilty [7].
[edit] Torture
Arpaio has been accused of allowing the torture of inmates at his jails in a documentary from Channel 4 in Britain Channel 4. He has always insisted this is not the case, ignoring even medical evidence from inmates' deaths.
[edit] Illegal immigrants
In 2005, Arizona passed a law making it a felony, punishable by up to 2 years in jail, to smuggle someone across the border. Maricopa County Attorney Andrew P. Thomas has issued a legal opinion that those being smuggled can be considered co-conspirators to the smuggling and thusly can be charged under the same law. Under this opinion, Arpaio has instructed his deputies and members of his civilian posse to round up and arrest suspected illegal aliens. Arpaio said to Fox News, "My message is clear: If you come here and I catch you, you're going straight to jail. [...] I'm not going to turn these people over to federal authorities so they can have a free ride back to Mexico. I'll give them a free ride to my jail." [8] To date, Arpaio has arrested at least 263 people under this program. [9]
The county attorney's legal opinion is being challenged in court. Many critics, including two of the co-authors of the Arizona anti-smuggling law, claim that Thomas and Arpaio are misusing the statute, which was meant only for human smugglers and not for migrants who are being smuggled. [10] Judge Thomas O'Toole ruled in June, 2006 that the sheriff's interpretation is correct, and the migrants can be tried as co-conspirators. However, he later ordered that several migrants be released from custody due to lack of evidence against them. Several other migrants have pleaded guilty and received probation and deportation to Mexico. So far, none of the conspiracy cases have been tried by a jury. [11]
[edit] Prostitution sting
Sheriff Arpaio has been criticized for allowing his deputies and posse members to engage in sex acts during an undercover prostitution "sting". In November, 2003, Sheriff's deputies arrested over 70 people for prostitution and solicitation. The officers arrested alleged prostitutes and their customers in more than 30 homes and 10 massage parlors in the Phoenix area. Records indicated that several of the officers disrobed, fondled the breasts and genitals of the alleged prostitutes, and allowed their penises to be touched during the operation. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office stated that the Sheriff's office had gone too far in allowing this behavior, and 60 of the cases were thrown out. Several of the male customers in the case were prosecuted, however. [12]
[edit] Books
- Joe Arpaio and Len Sherman, America's Toughest Sheriff: How We Can Win the War Against Crime, (1996). Summit Publishing Group, ISBN 1-56530-202-8
