Arpaio’s Infamous Tent City is Gone but Arizona State Prison’s Tent City Remains
Matthew Clarke’s article, published in Prison Legal News on August 6, 2018, page 38, was loaded on August 6, 2018. Almost immediately after taking office as sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona, Paul Penzone began a phase-out of the infamous Tent City jail, which had been built by his predecessor, Joe Arpaio, who had been found guilty of criminal contempt by a federal court in July 2017 but had been pardoned by President Donald Trump. However, another Tent City, this one located within the Arizona State Prison (ASP) facility in Florence, continues to be in operation as of October 7, 2017.
The jail was built in August 1993 for an estimated $80,000 and opened in August 1993.
In his statement, Penzone argued that the facility “is not a crime deterrence, is not cost-effective, and is not tough on offenders.” Tent City, also known as the North Unit of the ASP, is a contentious facility since it exposes up to 400 minimum-security convicts to severe heat due to the fact that the canvas tents are without windows and painted white.
Insect and vermin infestations, as well as water ingress, have been reported by the convicts.
- When we arrived, the detainees informed us that the tents flooded whenever it rained during the monsoon.
- Numerous medications used to treat mental illness have been shown to impair the body’s capacity to regulate heat, putting those who take them at greater risk of heat-related accidents.
- In 2009, Marcia Powell, an Arizona state prisoner, was imprisoned in an outside cage on a 107-degree day in the desert.
- She had virtually roasted herself to death by this point.
- She had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was receiving anti-psychotic and mood-stabilizing medications, which rendered her more sensitive to the effects of extreme heat and humidity.
- However, when questioned if they regulate the length of time a prisoner may be kept in an outside cage, whether there are restrictions to the amount of heat that inmates may be subjected to, or even whether they had a written heat strategy, prison authorities were unsure of their position.
- In what way can Arizona maintain its legal right to house inmates in suffocating tents?
- Caroline Isaacs, of the American Friends Service Committee’s Tucson office, adding that long-term tent living is “just not acceptable” even in the best of conditions.
Despite this, the practice continues. Sources: As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you will have access to the full text of this article as well as downloads for additional premium material. Today is the day to subscribe. Already a member of the club? Login
Maricopa County’s Tent City jail officially shut down
- The closing of a jail that had garnered international notoriety for its gimmicks and the camera-ready sheriff for more than two decades was met with little excitement in its last days. Tent City, Maricopa County’s iconic outdoor jail, was discreetly shuttered for the weekend, according to reports. They were transferred from the 7-acre property in southwest Phoenix late Saturday night and put into the county’s Durango Jail, which is just a few blocks away. Tent City was the idea of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who established it in 1993 to alleviate congestion in traditional brick-and-mortar prisons and detention centers. Since their beginnings, the tents have sparked a great deal of debate. Critics said that the circumstances were harsh, especially during Phoenix’s sweltering summers, while advocates praised the facility as a just punishment for the county’s lawbreakers and miscreants. In their pink undies, the inmates were sweating. Republican officials, including four presidential hopefuls, would tour the facilities in an attempt to win Arpaio’s support. The tents remained in place even after jail numbers began to decline in recent years, and Arpaio frequently referred to them in order to bolster his “tough-on-crime” reputation. In a news release issued last year, Sheriff Joe Arpaio expressed his desire that Tent City would celebrate its 25th anniversary. It had been 10 months since the last one. Closing Tent City was one of the first orders of business for Sheriff Paul Penzone, who was elected to replace Arpaio in November after Arpaio was dismissed from his position. Penzone announced the facility’s closure in April, referring to the tents as a “circus” rather than a deterrence to crime as he did so. Even though he ran as a Democrat, Penzone promised to eliminate politics from the struggling agency and to make choices based on public safety and financial wisdom rather than political considerations. Tent City’s continued operation cost the taxpayers around $8.6 million last year. Earlier this year, officials stated that decommissioning the plant will save the government around $4.5 million each year. Penzone said in April that Tent City will be phased down over the following six months, rather than being closed on a certain day, rather than closing immediately. According to him, this gave the agency time to identify where and how to hold offenders on work release terms, who are only permitted to be released during work or school hours. According to Penzone, “this is another another step towards the stability of this office and its operations.” ‘My primary emphasis is on identifying more effective methods of reducing recidivism while maintaining a safe working environment for our workers.’ When reached late Monday evening, Arpaio stated that his replacement is free to “do anything he wants.” “It’s been a fantastic program, and I want to continue it,” Arpaio added. “(But) he’s the sheriff now,” says the narrator. As stated by spokesman Mark Casey, convicts have been gradually transported to Durango over the course of the previous several days. He claimed the remaining 17 convicts from Tent City were released around 11 p.m. on Saturday. Upon learning of the jail’s unceremonious closure, Casey responded in an email, saying, “This agency is moving on.” “There has been much too much focus/obsession on Tents at the expense of other significant issues impacting MCSO and the people we serve,” says the commissioner. Tents and pink underpants are an outdated and out-of-date storyline. ” Tent City’s full-time convicts — around 400 as of April — were the first to be moved, and they did so over the course of several weeks. Despite the fact that the numbers change from day to day, Casey estimated that around 370 offenders were participating in a work-release or work-furlough program as of Monday morning. Authorities began demolishing the tents in May and selling valuable things at auction to raise money for the sheriff’s department. The famous “Vacancy” sign, as well as the tents themselves, will be placed in storage, according to Casey. According to local regulations, the steel frames of the tents will be chopped into pieces and sold as scrap metal. Officials with the Sheriff’s Office have not yet stated what they intend to do with the site. MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: Tent City, the iconic prison for convicts who wore pink underwear and a big part of Arpaio’s reputation, is closing its doors for good. Despite the heat wave, Tent City continues to house 350 convicts. Checking the facts: Sheriff Penzone claims that the closing of Tent City will save the county $4.5 million. is he correct
Last Inmates Leave Tent City, a Remnant of Joe Arpaio (Published 2017)
Tent City, an outdoor Arizona jail that served as an icon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s “tough on crime” stance, has been shuttered after 24 years in operation. It was formally closed down on Saturday after the last of the approximately 370 detainees were relocated to another correctional facility. Because the detainees had not been moved since May, the process was a little more complicated. The closure, which is a cornerstone of the current Maricopa County sheriff’s plan, further erodes the memory of Mr.
- In a statement on Wednesday, Mr.
- “They’ve all been convicted and are serving their sentences.” “To this day, people come up to me and express gratitude – parents who are upset about their children having to go to the tents, and they straighten out,” he continued.
- Arpaio’s tactics, which included issuing most inmates pink underwear to wear underneath their jumpsuits, prohibiting the distribution of pornographic magazines, and broadcasting cooking shows in the cafeteria while inmates ate two meatless meals a day.
- Image courtesy of Associated Press photographer Angie Wang.
- Arpaio, one of the major difficulties was that it was 120 to 130 degrees outside.
- Mr.
- “We had a plethora of various programs.” Gangs in a chain.
- “It’s the first of its kind in the world.” Women of color in Arpaio’s jails were disproportionately abused, according to Brian Tashman, a political researcher and strategist at the American Civil Liberties Union, who wrote in August about the situation.
Tashman cited a Justice Department report that stated Latina detainees were “denied basic sanitary items,” were “forced to remain with sheets or pants soiled from menstruation,” or were placed in “solitary confinement for extended periods of time because of their inability to understand and thus follow a command given in English.” Mr.
- Mr.
- “This institution does not serve as a crime deterrence,” Sheriff Penzone stated at the time at a press conference.
- Criminals aren’t treated very harshly in our country.
- However, for the general public, this facility has evolved into more of a circus feel.
- He stated that closing it down is likely to save the county, which includes Phoenix, between $4 million and $4.5 million per year in operating expenses.
- Mr.
- As he put it on Wednesday, “It doesn’t matter whether it costs money.” “It has proven to be a significant deterrent.
It had a high population of 1,700 convicts, but has been down to 700 to 800 inmates over the last several years.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office planned to reveal the next steps in the investigation of the site on Friday.
Penzone both stated that convicts preferred Tent City over ordinary jails.
Woods described it, the committee found out that convicts wanted to keep the jail open because they preferred to spend the most of their time outside rather than being locked up in a cell for the majority of the day.
Woods stated that “if the convicts voted, I’m telling you, it would be in the high 90 percentile or perhaps 100 percent,” and that “they would prefer it to stay open, which is precisely the antithesis of the picture that’s been projected.” Mr.
He mentioned that four presidential contenders, including Bob Dole and John McCain, paid him a visit at the institution. “If it’s that horrible, why would everyone running for president want to come to the tents and visit me?” he questioned rhetorically.
Tent City Jail Inmate information – Maricopa County Jail, Phoenix AZ
Location of the jail: 2939 W. Durango StreetPhoenix, AZ 85009(602) 876-0322(602) 876-0322 This outdoor facility, which holds 2,000 inmates, was built in 1993 after Sheriff Joe Arpaio was able to secure some surplus military tents from the United States Army. This group of tents was erected up in a location next to one of the current Maricopa County Jails in Phoenix, Arizona, to house inmates. As a result of congestion in the jail, Sheriff Arpaio had earlier determined that he would not release any convicts; putting convicted criminals in the tents appeared to be a reasonable answer.
A few enhancements have been made to the Tents Jail throughout the years, including the installation of two Sky Watch Towers for increased security, the installation of stun fences around the perimeter, and the installation of face recognition computer software for inmate identification.
Prior to convicts being kept in the tents, the Classification Unit performs background checks on them in order to ensure that no dangerous or predatory persons are housed in the facility.
Jail Index:
- Visitation in a tent at the city jail
- Putting money on inmates’ books
- Inmate bail inquiry
602-876-0322 is the number to call for jail information. Call 602-876-0322 if you have any general jail queries, such as the amount of the bond, the charges, visiting, prisoner book accounts, or phone numbers. Call 602-258-4488 to purchase a bail bond. Call 602-258-4488 if you need quick assistance purchasing a bond with a credit card, bank deposit, wired funds, or by utilizing collateral.
Inmate Inquiry:
The Tent City Inmate Inquiry is a free service given to prospective clients who are actively seeking bail in Tent City. This Inquiry is not intended to provide you with an update on an inmate’s release status, nor is it intended for persons who are just interested about an inmate’s bail or charges. For those of you who need to know whether or not an inmate has been released, please call the SIMS HOTLINE at (602) 876-0322.
Tent City Jail Inmate Inquiry Form
To ensure that an inmate is still housed at the Tents Jail, call the Sheriff’s Information Management Services (SIMS) at 602-876-0322 before scheduling a visiting with him or her. In most cases, visitation is held between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; however, visiting restrictions may be in force and schedules are subject to change. Tents Jail is really two independent jails: In-Tents and Con-Tents. In-Tents is the most secure of the two. Those who have been sentenced to prison and are serving straight time are housed in In-Tents, whilst those who have been sentenced but are on work release or work furlough are housed in Con-Tents.
Inmates on work release or vacation are not permitted to have visitors. In-Tents convicts are able to communicate with their visitors through video monitor and telephone. In order to get out the most up to date visitation schedules, call the Tents Jail information line at 602-876-0322.
Visitation Procedures
It is necessary for you to complete a Visitation Form, which may be found in the foyer of each jail. To assist you, you must be aware of the inmate’s formal first and last names. Visitors are limited to a maximum of 2-3 people at a time, depending on their age. Inmates are permitted three thirty-minute visits each week, for a total of seven visits per week.
Placing Money on Inmate Books
It is permissible to mail convicts money in an envelope addressed to the jail, provided that the envelope includes the inmate’s name and booking number. The words “FOR DEPOSIT ONLY” must be clearly written on the exterior of the envelope, and the “Return Address” must be clearly written on the postal envelope as well. It is possible to deposit money into an inmate’s “money account” by submitting a Cashiers Check (formal check), or a money order through the U.S. Postal Service or Western Union, together with the inmate’s name and booking number, to the jail.
- To ensure that the inmate’s fund account is fully funded, the cheque must be placed in its whole.
- During regular visiting hours, a visitor may also deposit money into an inmate’s “money account” books by providing U.S.
- Postal or Western Union money order with the inmate’s name and booking number to the visiting officer.
- Inmate money are accepted for deposit at any Sheriff’s Office facility, and visitors may also utilize the touch pay kiosks placed in the jail visiting lobbies to pay their visitation fees.
- For those who wish to deposit money outside visiting hours, the 4th Avenue Jail (201 S.
In addition to using one of the touch pay kiosk systems located in various jail sites, calling 1-866-355-9593, or paying over the internet, you may also use one of the touch pay kiosk systems located in various jail locations, or paying via the telephone at 1-866-355-9593 Please include the inmate’s name as well as his or her MCSO booking number.
There is a cost associated with this service.
For any general jail questions, such as the amount of the bail, charges, visits, inmate book accounts, and phone numbers, contact the jail’s general information line.
Call 602-258-4488 to purchase a bail bond. If you need quick assistance purchasing a bond with a credit card, bank deposit, wired funds, or utilizing collateral, please contact us.
Tent City Jail
Tent City Jail is a correctional facility in Arizona. The Tent City Jail is located between the Estrella Jail and the Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Home, making it a convenient location.
Notable Places in the Area
- OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Here WeGo, Bing Maps, and MapQuest are all examples of mapping services.
- Arizona, Southwest, United States, North America
- Address:2939 West Durango Street, Phoenix, AZ 85009
- Type:Prison
- Location:Arizona, Southwest, United States, North America
Latitude33.4277° or 33° 25′ 40″ north | Longitude-112.1239° or 112° 7′ 26″ west |
Open Location Code 8559CVHG+3F | OpenStreetMap IDway 189833913 |
Let’s work together to make OpenStreetMap even better.
In the Area
- Long Bay Correctional Centre is a prison in the Australian state of New South Wales. China’s Qinghai Province has a prison. Staffordshire Police Northern Area Custody Facility is a prison in the English-speaking country of the United Kingdom. Work Ethic Camp is a prison in Nebraska, United States, that promotes work ethics. HMP Wymott Prison in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Worthing Custody Centre is a prison in the English county of Worthing in the United Kingdom.
Popular Destinations inArizona
It is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things, that one’s goal is. Henry Miller expresses himself in this way:
Escape to a Random Place
Paul Penzone, the recently elected sheriff of Maricopa County, is making significant strides in the state of Arizona. In 1993, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio opened the doors to Tent City, which has now been closed for good by Penzone Enterprises, Inc. Originally, the open-air cage served as a holding facility for inmates awaiting transfer to other facilities. In the end, though, it was swiftly reduced to a sideshow, with new stunts appearing each year. On this seven-acre stretch of tents, which could accommodate up to 1,700 convicts at a time, inmates were obliged to wear conventional black-and-white striped prison uniforms and pink underwear, and they were provided two vegetarian meals each day.
- Temperatures inside the tent might reach up to 125 degrees due to the location in the Arizona desert, where temperatures may reach as high as 110 degrees everyday.
- For some time, Penzone speculated, “the image of the tents as a deterrent to recidivism and as a symbol of being tough on crime may have been accurate.” “It is merely a myth now,” says the author.
- It has only been effective as a diversionary strategy.
- According to Penzone himself, a large number of detainees wanted to be transferred to Tent City voluntarily because they loved the outdoors.
- It became evident to the new sheriff that the outdoor jail must be closed when he learned that shutting it would save the county around $4.5 million per year, regardless of conflicting viewpoints on the subject.
- Approximately half of Tent City’s existing convicts will be relocated over the next 45 to 60 days, and the institution will be closed altogether within six months, according to Penzone’s schedule.
- An overwhelming majority of those detainees had also been convicted of DUI offenses.
- Penzone, on the other hand, is of the opposite opinion.
As a result, we’re going to provide our taxpayers with what they really want: an institution that operates effectively.” As power movements continue on the local and national levels, only time will tell how these significant adjustments will affect Arizona and its citizens in the long run.
Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio Wants to Bring Back His Brutal Tent City
Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio wants to reopen the “tent city,” which was photographed on May 3, 2010, in Phoenix. Paul J. Richards/Getty ImagesOne of the most infamously bigoted sheriffs in modern American history wants to reclaim his position as chief of the department. In 2017, Joe Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for violating a 2011 court injunction prohibiting him from conducting discriminatory law enforcement stops of Hispanics in Maricopa County, the fourth-largest county in the country.
- He announced on Sunday that he would run for the position again in 2020.
- Arpaio was one of the first Republicans in the country to support Trump’s presidential bid in 2016.
- Arpaio has been found to have violated the United States Constitution on several occasions, but the sheriff has consistently refused to heed the court’s orders to rein him in.
- With less than 18 percent of the vote, he finished third in the election.
- Sheriff Paul Penzone, a Democrat who beat Sheriff Joe Arpaio in 2016, ordered the system’s closure shortly after taking over the agency.
- Because of the current political climate, it’s worth revisiting some of the atrocities that Arpaio presided over.Nine years before New York Rep.
- He aired live webcams of prisoners, including one of the toilet in a women’s facility, before the courts shut them down.
In one case, according to the New Yorker, a $8.25 million settlement was reached “after the discovery of a surveillance video that showed fourteen guards beating, shocking, and suffocating the prisoner, and after the sheriff’s office was accused of discarding evidence, including the crushed larynx of the deceased.” Arpaio’s prisoners were accused of being punished with solitary confinement for being unable to communicate in English, and were referred to by jail staffas “wet Meanwhile, at least seven children have died in immigration detention in the last year, following a ten-year stretch in which no such deaths happened.
Border detention centers have also gained notoriety for their severe temperatures, and federal judges have determined that children held in federal detention were being refused access to food, drink, and basic sanitation due to a violation of the Constitution.
Despite having a powerful ally in the White House, Arpaio faces a difficult road ahead if he wants to reclaim his position as sheriff.
Although it is uncertain if Arpaio will receive a presidential endorsement, his demeaning methods have undoubtedly served as an inspiration to the president and the rest of his cabinet.
When Arpaio publicly backed Trump’s presidential candidacy in January 2016, he stated, “Everything I believe in, he’s doing, and he’s going to do it when he becomes president,” he put it best.
Perspective
Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio wants to reopen the “tent city,” which was seen on May 3, 2010, in Phoenix. Paul J. Richards/Getty ImagesOne of the most infamously bigoted sheriffs in modern American history wants to reclaim his position as chief. In 2017, Joe Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for violating a 2011 court injunction prohibiting him from conducting discriminatory law enforcement stops of Hispanics in Maricopa County, the fourth-largest county in the country.
- He announced on Sunday that he will run for the position again in 2020.
- Arpaio was one of the first Republicans in the country to support Trump’s presidential campaign.
- Sexism, ethnic profiling, and brutal punishments were among the barbarous practices he employed on Latino detainees, including torture, humiliation, and degradation.
- In the aftermath of his pardon, Arpaio ran in the 2018 Republican Senate race in Arizona to try to succeed Jeff Flake, who had been serving as the state’s chief justice.
- In his campaign launch on Sunday, Arpaio threatened to bring back one of his most horrific programs, promising to resurrect the infamous “tent city” jail system.
- Several of Arpaio’s more heinous techniques, such as the widespread use of outdoor tent towns to hold migrants, have been mainstreamed by the Trump administration.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became embroiled in controversy for describing President Donald Trump’s tent detention facilities for migrants as “concentration camps,” Arpaio boasted about how his own tent city jail facility for “illegals” was an effective “concentration camp.”He often boasted about the brutal120-degree heat that prisoners in According to reports, the temperature in those tents could reach 145 degrees.He broadcast live webcams of prisoners, including one of a woman’s restroom, before the courts shut them down.He claimed to be investigating President Barack Obama’s birth certificate, and claimed as recently as last year that there was “no doubt” it was a “phony.”He knowingly and illegally detained at least 171 individuals after a 2011 injunction barred his discriminatory detention practices, bragging that he had Because of the violence of individuals in his office, the families of detainees who died as a result of his administration’s actions received multimillion-dollar payouts.
One $8.25 million settlement was reached “following the discovery of a surveillance video that showed fourteen guards beating, shocking, and suffocating the prisoner, and following allegations that the sheriff’s office had discarded evidence, including the crushed larynx of the deceased.” Arpaio’s prisoners were allegedly punished with solitary confinement for not being able to communicate in English, and were referred to by jail staff as “wetbacks,” “Mexican bitches,” As of the end of last year, at least seven children died in immigration detention, breaking a streak of ten years in which no such deaths happened.
Border detention centers have also gained notoriety for their severe temperatures, and federal judges have determined that children held in federal detention were being denied access to food, water, and basic hygiene due to an illegal denial of access to these necessities.
As part of his pardon, Trump praised Arpaio’s “50 years of admirable service to our nation” and “life’s work of protecting the public from scourges of crime and illegal immigration.” However, even with the support of the White House, Arpaio faces a long and uphill battle to reclaim his position as sheriff.
Although it is unknown if Arpaio will receive a presidential endorsement, his demeaning methods have undoubtedly served as an inspiration to the president and the rest of his team.
“Everything I believe in, he’s doing, and he’s going to do it when he becomes president,” Arpaio stated as he publicly backed Trump’s presidential campaign in January 2016.
