Sheriff Joe at it again.
Saturday, June 18 2011 @ 10:34 AM CDT

I got this in an email and I think I'll pass it on to my MP.
{
Subject: SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!
You all remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona , who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb. Well.........

SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!

Oh, there's MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe!

Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.

The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.

The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.

The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.

I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.

He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.

Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.
Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff.

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO

HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF

AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER
THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona ) who created the ' Tent City Jail':
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.

He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights Cut off all but 'G' movies.

He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.

Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get
Sued For Discrimination.

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 Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel.

When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be While They Are Working
ON My Chain Gangs.

He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value.

When the inmates complained, he told them, 'This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton......If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back.'


More On The Arizona Sheriff:

With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), 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.

On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached
138 Degrees Inside The Week Before.

Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS.

'It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace,' Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. 'It's Inhumane.'

Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the 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!'

Way To Go, Sheriff!

Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves. }

Re:Sheriff Joe at it again.
Sunday, June 19 2011 @ 05:36 PM CDT

Quote by: Moviz Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders.

I doubt it. A certain percentage of people will commit crimes, no matter what the society looks like, or how severe the inevitable punishment will be.

Since it's hard to stop crime altogether, the sensible thing to do is to make sure offenders don't become repeat offenders. Educate them, teach them a skill, give them some support when they come out of jail.

Sherrif Joe only ensures that prisoners will become really bitter people, guaranteed to re-offend.

He appeals to the most base tit-for-tat vindictiveness in people.

Victor.

* Post Removed *
Sunday, June 19 2011 @ 06:02 PM CDT

* This message has been removed *

Re:Sheriff Joe at it again.
Sunday, June 19 2011 @ 10:32 PM CDT

Quote by: -Harold- ....

Frank Zappa already observed a long time ago that right wing america looks a lot like the worst middle eastern theocratic dictatorships.

Victor.

Re:Sheriff Joe at it again.
Monday, June 20 2011 @ 07:43 AM CDT

Frank... gotta love him. But entirely an inaacurate statement. In past and current theocracies of the middle east there are no prisons, only places to dole out torturous agendas. Where prisons are not present, justice is doled out thru barbarous amputations or 'mercy killings.' This statement brought to you by talking to my neighbour who lived in Tehran for half of her life. Not American media. (Left or Right)
To be fair, in this discussion, Mr Zappa was talking about censorship and not the penal system. In context, his point is well taken and relates directly to freedom of speech. Way to go Z!

* Post Removed *
Monday, June 20 2011 @ 07:52 AM CDT

* This message has been removed *

Re:Sheriff Joe at it again.
Monday, June 20 2011 @ 09:03 AM CDT

Quote by: -Harold- I was trying to be funny. I have a knack for not being that. I apologize.

You ARE funny, Harold... but nobody bats a thousand and even the best comics deliver an occasional clunker.

Re:Sheriff Joe at it again.
Monday, June 20 2011 @ 10:40 AM CDT

Quote by: VicDiesel Quote by: Moviz Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. I doubt it. A certain percentage of people will commit crimes, no matter what the society looks like, or how severe the inevitable punishment will be. Since it's hard to stop crime altogether, the sensible thing to do is to make sure offenders don't become repeat offenders. Educate them, teach them a skill, give them some support when they come out of jail. Sherrif Joe only ensures that prisoners will become really bitter people, guaranteed to re-offend. He appeals to the most base tit-for-tat vindictiveness in people. Victor.

Don't agree. In the mid-1990's a good friend of mine was killed in a drive by shooting in So. Cal by an "educated", "supported", heavily "counseled" con that had been released that same day after spending 5 years in prison.

In the case the report was that he was released at roughly 9:00am when he took a greyhound bus from mid-California to the Oxnard area. He was there by 2:30pm where it is believed he immediately contacted a friend who provided him with a weapon and offered his car. Less than two hours later the ex-con drove down a street where my friend happened to be making a service call and opened fire emptying the clip. 3 rounds struck and killed my friend the rest entered the target house injuring a man and a woman.

This "educated", "supported", "counseled" individual then made a run for the mexican border and was caught for a minor traffic violation just south of LA in heavy traffic. During the trial he stated that he planned the attack since the day he was in prison. He's now serving a life sentence without parole.

The man he killed was a high school friend of mine that had nothing to do with the man or the house that was the target. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The sad thing about this case is that my friend had a wife and a kid who now exist below the poverty level because she is unable to work due to health reasons while the killer lives on three meals a day in an air conditioned prison in so Cal. I believe he earns more than my friends wife could earn doing jobs such as house cleaning on a periodic basis. He relaxes with TV, weights, a gaming room and has access to the internet, libraries and postal mail.

How do I know this? Well the prison just happened to be featured in the late 1990's during a special that showed how "humane" we treat our prisoners. I have not remained in contact with my friends wife but after his killing she had remarked that she had no idea how she would make it alone. Her name has appeared in few emails from high school friend mentioning fund raisers and things so I doubt she is living the good life or even a life close to as "good" as his killer lives.

I do agree that people will commit crimes no matter what they face for punishment. But I also believe that here in the US we tend to get a little too hung up on the humane part of prisoner treatment.

I think what Sherif Joe does is pretty much spot on. Does it work? Who knows but I certainly know that less is spent on these convicts than in any other state in the nation. For some of these crimes I believe that prisoners should pretty much sacrifice most of their rights which are available to free people. They should reserve only the right to basic human treatment.

To me this means they earn their keep just like every other person. Charge them for meals, charge them for access to media and internet. I pay for it! Why should we give it to them for free? They want air conditioning? Have them earn it. I have to pay for my heating and air conditioning!

I feel they should receive basic medical care but anything beyond that they pay for. Just like I do... as a free man!

Come up with a graduated income system for the prisoners. Those that won't work don't eat. Those that work hard earn food, nicer quarters, and pay for their "perks" just like out in the free world.

Makes total sense to me!

Re:Sheriff Joe at it again.
Monday, June 20 2011 @ 10:50 AM CDT

http://holykaw.alltop.com/school-superintendent-requests-school-be-turn

SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REQUESTS SCHOOL BE TURNED INTO PRISON


Education funding is being slashed left and right, and in states like Michigan that have been feeling the big hurt for a long time, that isn’t surprising since there’s only so much money going around, right? Well, Nathan Bootz, a school superintendent wrote a letter to the governor of Michigan requesting that his school be turned into a prison where the state’s funding shortage isn’t having quite the impact it’s having on his schools.

Dear Governor Snyder,

In these tough economic times, schools are hurting. And yes, everyone in Michigan is hurting right now financially, but why aren’t we protecting schools? Schools are the one place on Earth that people look to to “fix” what is wrong with society by educating our youth and preparing them to take on the issues that society has created.

One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that I don’t believe Michigan wants to be on top of.

Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.

This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding. Please give my students three meals a day. Please give my children access to free health care. Please provide my school district Internet access and computers. Please put books in my library. Please give my students a weight room so we can be big and strong. We provide all of these things to prisoners because they have constitutional rights. What about the rights of youth, our future?!

Please provide for my students in my school district the same way we provide for a prisoner. It’s the least we can do to prepare our students for the future...by giving our schools the resources necessary to keep our students OUT of prison.

Respectfully submitted,

Nathan Bootz, Superintendent, Ithaca Public Schools

Food for thought. Oh wait, there's not funding for that.

Full story at Gratiot County Herald via Breakfast Links.

Fighting crime through education.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Re:Sheriff Joe at it again.
Monday, June 20 2011 @ 12:00 PM CDT

Quote by: MarkHolbrook Don't agree. In the mid-1990's a good friend of mine was killed

Ah yes, the scientific approach. Take a datapoint that has emotional meaning to you and extrapolate that.

I'm really sorry that this happened to you, but a single data point and "makes sense to me" is not a basis for policy.

I've done about 5 minutes of googling, and the matter is all quite subtle. Not all offenders are the same. Not all offenses are the same. Depending on the kind of offense different approaches works best. The offender needs to be mentally in the right state for certain tactics to work.

However, none of this can be condensed into a soundbite.

Victor.