Complaint Review: Sheriff Joe Arpaio

You call my family names and tell us to "Go to Phoenix" and see how bad it is under the sheriff. I had stated that they all live right there, guess you missed that part in your haste to rage at me. They aren't at all worried about being arrested, as they are not criminals. My family has lived there since the early sixties, so I'd say they qualify as residents by now, wouldn't you? I still travel to Glendale and Phoenix and will be there again in two weeks. I won't commit any crimes, and won't go to jail. I have seen the tent city, they are the exact same tents our soldiers stay in when in the field for extended periods. The only people that hate Joe are the criminals and their families, and anyone falsely accused are free to sue just like anywhere else. I contend the reason you can't find a lawyer that will sue is that lawyers don't want to waste time on loser cases.

You Know Marc your brother and the rest of that family of yours is much of an a*****e as Joe is.You people get your asses to Phoenix and see how you get arressted for no reason(yes,no reason,here they don't need one)and see how your civil rights are violated.I guess you all were in favor of slavery too.Joe is worse than than the worst slave master there was.
The possee is a joke a bunch of old people trying to feel important and are Joe's free labor.If they weren't in this AZ sun so long maybe their brains would not be fried and they could see what an a*****e Joe is.The federaL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BRING HIM UP ON CHARGES FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.Then let him sit in one of his own jails not the ones he shows the press and vistors but regular population in Durango

Nice weather and everything out there. One question for you though...are you going to be a guest of Joe's anytime soon? I am just wondering. It would seem if it is so terrible to be in his jails, one would do everything possible to NOT be a guest again, including OBEYING the law.

My brother sometimes meets with the sheriff relating to police matters, and says Joe is the greatest thing for Phoenix since sliced bread. Most of my relatives live in Phoenix and they all like the way Joe does business too. Crime is high in Phoenix because it is a rapidly growing city and attracts criminals as well as "normal" people,it has nothing to to with the police. As for his "Posse" they are neither kooks nor wannabe cops, they are simply armed citizens willing to stand up for their city against the punks, when asked to do so. The sheriff has simple advice for all. "If you're a crook, stay out of my town or I'll be seeing you." We could use a man like him in my town, but Phoenix would never let him go.

Like to tell you all my husband did not commit the crime was just accussed and after 4 months he finally got out of hell.One of you said it took 22 hours in Ohio to be released try about 48 hours in Maricopa County and that is if you are lucky.Joe is messed up his jails were suppose to be up to par with an order from the Federal government in 1977 and then again in 1999,but he refuses to comply.Durango was suppossed to close down 5 years ago,he has the Buckeye jail which he keeps empty unless he is getting vistors,then he fills it up and sends everyone back to DURANGO AFTER THEY LEAVE.He has inmates with leporsy in the tents,and you are going to tell me ,jail is supposssed to be like that ?Try having a family member of yoyrs in there and when they come out with a staph infection that will never go away like my husband see how happy you are . Good news I got a lawyer that will handle this and Maricopa County I am going have a bunch of your money Thank you voters for being so ignorant ,you wanted Joe your going to pay alot now and I will never have to work again

Hey robert come on out to phx and visit Joe!! If your a heartless fat a*****e he will for sure give you a job. Till you have been a guest of the mcso you have no idea what your talking about.

signed a former guest of the towers jail

Is the reason you haven't been in his jail, because you haven't commited any crimes against the citizens of Maricopa County? I love it when the opposition makes my point for me. My wife is right...I should have been a litigator.

Not because of Sherrif Joe but the original poster and everyone supporting her.

Every single one of you dances when a police officer is shot. You all support the criminals.

PLEASE GOD TELL ME NONE OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN! After the lifetimes you give them of beatings and molestations as all of you by your hate of the police have shown you do they will be in jail.

Here's hoping you die all of you. What do you expect when the original poster is married to a crook?

Not because of Sherrif Joe but the original poster and everyone supporting her.

Every single one of you dances when a police officer is shot. You all support the criminals.

PLEASE GOD TELL ME NONE OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN! After the lifetimes you give them of beatings and molestations as all of you by your hate of the police have shown you do they will be in jail.

Here's hoping you die all of you. What do you expect when the original poster is married to a crook?

Isn't it amusing that those that have no clue what they are talking about talk the most.
Those of you who don't live in Maricopa County and have not had to deal with this blithering idiot for a sheriff, have no right to tell those of us who do, and have, a d**n thing.
Robert (Florida); M (Indiana); Kate (Ohio) - hmm, not surprising a single one is not in Arizona. It's not just the inhumane conditions of the jails, but false arrest, wrongful death, serious injury, and health problems either directly caused by, or exacerbated by the conditions in which inmates are forced to live. Since you are so interested in stats and crime statistics, why don't you try the justice department, the ACLU, and the Supreme Court sites. Type in Maricopa County, Sheriff Arpaio, Joe Arpaio, or any combination and see how many human rights, constitutional rights, and civil rights the egomaniac's antics have causeddd. Because of his politics and practices, several people have died, been hospitalized, and/or suffered serious illness or injury at the hands of Arpaio and his "goon squad."
Re: the post asking about an attorney. There are several attorneys who have taken on cases against both the county and Arpaio himself. There are several multi-million dollar suits in the works right now. Please see www.arpaio.com - that should give you a few good starting points.
To those of you who think you are in a position to defend the big JA - you don't have a clue. Know what you are spouting off about before you jump in to defend a maniac who has cost this county several lives and millions in lawsuits.

Oh, and just in case you want to try the same old tired line -- I have never been arrested, spent time in jail, or even had any traffic tickets - so the disgruntled former inmate crap won't fly. I am simply one of hundreds of county residents that are tired of being at the top of the human rights violations list because of the Joe (the joke)Arpaio.

Before the 1960's when prison reform was all the rage in this country, prisoners didn't like prisons. There were very few repeat offenders, and the worst of the bunch were eliminated quickly and efficiently. The prison populations were low and just a small percentage of the overall US population was a current or former inmate. "Reform" has given us large numbers in prison and large percentages of the US population in prison. The death penalty takes decades to be carried out even if there is NO doubt at all by anyone that the crime was committed by the convict. Repeat offenders are way up for one reason...they like prison. It's fun and games for some of them. If this country went back to making prisoners HATE being in prison, they would not commit the crimes. Weight rooms, TV, all the comforts of home. That's prison today. Give them a 6X10 cell and nothing but a cot, a toilet, and sink, and there will be much less desire to be a guest of the system. That's how it used to be. Let the prisoners outside for 1 hour/day and march them in proper military fashion to/from chow. No more 'working out" with weights, and turn off the A/C. When prison is made to be a punishment, there will be less need of it. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks. You cannot make people change. You can however, make life as unpleasant as possible to instill the fear of ever going back. Life inside a prison is wonderful compared to what most of them had on the outside. Make them all work to earn their keep.

How did I editorialize? I gave the overall index percentages, and laid them out for what they were.

You gave the same percentages, but decided it was necessary to hone in on specific crimes and to equate a less-than-average decrease with a practical increase (that's a logical fallacy if I've ever seen one). That, my friend, is editorializing.

Sure, Arizona has a HUGE problem with illegal immigration. So do an awful lot of other states. How does Maricopa compare with counties with similar, or even worse immigration issues? What has been the trend in immigrant crime over the years, and the trend of migration as a whole? You need to look to comparisons, and understand what those comparisons mean.

Furthermore, the FARMLAMB crimes are generally those that would be reported regardless of how "safe" people feel about reporting them. Some of them, arson and murder for example, are things that aren't even generally "reported" in the sense of a complaint being filed. Crimes like breaches of the peace see greater reporting as people feel safer, but those crimes aren't measured in the FBI index.

Let's face it Robert, you simply can't admit when one of your theories is absolutely wrong. The hard-line style may win over a naive electorate, but it's a proven failure when it comes to actual crime fighting. If Joe were actually successful in his endeavor then I could look past any transgressions that don't rise to the level of civil rights violations. I could look past a little bit of corruption. And I could certainyl look past the tents. But the tactics used in Maricopa are actually counter-productive, so again I ask, what's more important: retribution or safety?

Here are the stats from the FBI...unedited.
Arizona leads the nation in overall crime rates. Murder is UP 11%, rapes UP 13%. The crime rate overall fell by 17% in Arizona, but nationwide, the rates fell by 25%. In other words, AZ crime rates have risen in comparison to the national average. Phoenix is apparently the meth-lab capital of the world and the county is being overrun by illegals swarming the border.

They commit a large percentage of the crimes. Maricopa has seen a 10% increase in criminal case filings and 3% above the population growth overall. This may very well go back to what I stated earlier...when the populace feels safe in reporting a crime, they will do just that.

Here in Jax, the cops are laughed at. Bums wander freely among the people who pay the salaries of the Sheriff's Dept, and whores and crackheads are ignored by the authorities. But God help you if you try and rob any restaurant. There are at least 4 cops in every eatery at any given moment of the day. It's so pathetic, the Credit Union the cops use was robbed and the guy got away on foot.

The cops were there in cars, and the guy ran off with the money. I for one, would like to see a round-up of all the bums like they do in NYC every so often. Make life unbearable for the derelicts of society and make them go away.

Nope, sorry Robert, But my stats are spot on. They are not from opponents of Joe, they are from the FBI's Bureau of Justice Statistics. You can go to their webpage and check out the numbers for yourself, but you'll have to do some math.

Robert,

Actually, the overall crime rate for the entire State of Arizona went DOWN 17%, not up, while the overall crime rate nationwide fell 25% over the past decade. And yet still Maricopa County continues it's upward trend. And part of this problem is the city of Mesa, which is in Maricopa County. That city is nothing but a cesspool of meth labs and drug dealers. And the city officials (including the Police Dept) are the worst criminals in town.

You say the criminals are "getting theirs". What about the droves of innocents that have been locked up by this puppet dictatorship? Are they "getting theirs" too?

And what about Joe? Last year was the smallest margin ever for his win. Even the Republican Party chose NOT to endorse him, instead endorsing his opponent in the Primary. But, unfortunately, Joe still won.

By the way, did you know that Joe himself does not have any police powers? He is strictly a politician, and a very crooked one at that. He can't even place anyone under arrest.

As I said, I can't wait until I move to Tallahassee in 2007. Jeb may have his own problems, but at least it's not as bad as here with all our tax dollars going to waste over civil lawsuits. And if Crist wins when Jeb is done, so much the better.

In fact, the crime rates for the entire state of AZ went up. Also in fact, the rate for "juvenile" crime went down in Maricopa. Perhaps Joe's methods are sinking in the minds of the upcoming generation of thugs and they don't want to be his guest just yet. If AZ as a whole went up, and Maricopa went up more, then there may be a problem. Crime rates are established by crimes reported. If the populace feels safe in reporting the crime because they think the criminal will ACTUALLY be punished, the rates will always go up. If Maricopa went up LESS than the rest of the state, because the county really does have less crime, then Joe has shown some success. As for the crimes being committed by those terrible Republicans, how did that come about? You just said Repubs are law abiding and want criminals punished. So how could they be committing the crimes? That entire argument falls flat. The blue counties are the highest crime areas in the country. My home county of Onlsow NC is run by the Democrats. In election after election though, the county votes Republican. How can that be? It's the same with the Florida panhandle...heavily populated by registered Dems who ALWAYS vote for the Repubs. These are called Southern Democrats. You may as well call them Republicans though. The modern Democrat Party is run by lefties who want the Nanny-State. Now, getting back to the issue at hand. What are the actual numbers, not made up by opponents of Joe Arpaio, that will show that he is the problem and is not in fact, helping find a cure? It seems the majority of the populace in Maricopa likes Joe. They keep voting him back in with good numbers to prevent a recount. The tents, as I have stated before, were put up because the savages in the jails rioted and burned down the buildings. It was then that Joe said the tents were good enough for our troops, so they're good enough for the inmates. They originally had A/C units in the tents. More riots by the "innocents" destroyed those, so no more A/C units. His methods may not suit the bedwetters, but I for one, like them. I like knowing the criminals are "getting theirs". I have always noticed the criminals never give a rat's a*s about how their victims feel. Maybe we could let the actual victims of the rapists, murderers, thieves, drunk drivers, molesters, etc. have a say in the matter. I am willing to bet real money on it that they would like them treated with even less care and respect than they get under Joe's watch.

In fact, the crime rates for the entire state of AZ went up. Also in fact, the rate for "juvenile" crime went down in Maricopa. Perhaps Joe's methods are sinking in the minds of the upcoming generation of thugs and they don't want to be his guest just yet. If AZ as a whole went up, and Maricopa went up more, then there may be a problem. Crime rates are established by crimes reported. If the populace feels safe in reporting the crime because they think the criminal will ACTUALLY be punished, the rates will always go up. If Maricopa went up LESS than the rest of the state, because the county really does have less crime, then Joe has shown some success. As for the crimes being committed by those terrible Republicans, how did that come about? You just said Repubs are law abiding and want criminals punished. So how could they be committing the crimes? That entire argument falls flat. The blue counties are the highest crime areas in the country. My home county of Onlsow NC is run by the Democrats. In election after election though, the county votes Republican. How can that be? It's the same with the Florida panhandle...heavily populated by registered Dems who ALWAYS vote for the Repubs. These are called Southern Democrats. You may as well call them Republicans though. The modern Democrat Party is run by lefties who want the Nanny-State. Now, getting back to the issue at hand. What are the actual numbers, not made up by opponents of Joe Arpaio, that will show that he is the problem and is not in fact, helping find a cure? It seems the majority of the populace in Maricopa likes Joe. They keep voting him back in with good numbers to prevent a recount. The tents, as I have stated before, were put up because the savages in the jails rioted and burned down the buildings. It was then that Joe said the tents were good enough for our troops, so they're good enough for the inmates. They originally had A/C units in the tents. More riots by the "innocents" destroyed those, so no more A/C units. His methods may not suit the bedwetters, but I for one, like them. I like knowing the criminals are "getting theirs". I have always noticed the criminals never give a rat's a*s about how their victims feel. Maybe we could let the actual victims of the rapists, murderers, thieves, drunk drivers, molesters, etc. have a say in the matter. I am willing to bet real money on it that they would like them treated with even less care and respect than they get under Joe's watch.

Joe Arpaio took his position as Sheriff of Maricopa County in 1993.

In that year Maricopa County saw an increase of 10% in "FARMLAMB" crimes (serious crimes indexed by the FBI). In his tenure overall there has been about a 3% increase in the county's crime rate.

In contrast, the rest of the country saw a 2% reduction in the overall crime rate in Joe's first year in office, and a 24% reduction throughout his tenure.

Maybe Joe's statistical failure has to do with the fact that he is in a fairly metropolitan county?

Well, in Joe's first year, New York City saw a 12% reduction; and Los Angeles County saw a 8% reduction. Throughout Joe's tenure, New York City has seen a 62% reduction; and Los Angeles County experienced a 43% reduction.

Maybe it's just the Phoenix area?

Well, in Joe's first year, Phoenix did see an increase of 8%. But, across his tenure, Phoenix has seen an overall reduction of over 15%.

Maybe economic forces are to blame?

Well, during Joe's tenure the average household income in Maricopa County has increased by about 50% (which is in line with the national figure). Detroit, Michigan saw a much slower increase in average income, but reduced it's crime by 25%. Gary, Indiana actually saw a decrease in average income, but managed to reduce its crime by 42%.

Let's sum it up for Joe's time as sheriff:

Nationwide: 24% DEcrease
New York City: 62% DEcrease
Los Angeles County: 43% DEcrease
Phoenix: 15% DEcrease
Detroit: 25% Decrease
Gary, IN: 42% DEcrease

Maricopa County: 3% INcrease

Not only has Maricopa County failed to recover from the early 90s crime boom, things have actually gotten worse! The rest of the country is far safer today than it was 12 years ago. Not Maricopa County! Even the City of Phoenix, which is INSIDE Maricopa County, has seen a significant decrease in crime. Even impoverished cities like Detroit and Gary have reduced their crime rates. Not Maricopa County!

So what's the problem?

Well, I'll tell ya.

While the rest of the nation's law enforcement agencies were experiencing the revolution of "scientific policing," Joe decided to ignore volumes of criminological data and turned back the clock.

While the rest of the nation's corrections officials were coming to the realization that recidivism is largely a function of inadequate jail and prison services, Joe put up tents in the desert.

While the rest of the nation's crime control policy makers were implementing comprehensive strategies including environmental design and community policing, Joe decided to be a cowboy and invoked posse comitatus.

While the rest of the nation's law enforcement agencies were demanding ethical, highly educated officers and continuing training, Joe decided to give badges to every jackass that always wanted to be a cop but wasn't ethical or smart enough to do it.

But Joe has saved the county alot of money with his "tent city," right? Wrong! The increased payouts from civil rights lawsuits has cost the county FAR more money than it has saved by providing inadequate incarceration facilities.

Well, at least Joe is a well-intentioned, stand-up guy, right? Wrong! The MCSO is well recognized as one of the most corrupt law enforcement agencies in the country. Case in point: a few years back, Joe gave the commissary contract to his brother in law, and turned his back on some pretty egregious racketeering.

But at least criminals are getting what they deserve, right? That may be so, but what's more important to you: retribution or personal safety? Rhetoric or responsible public service?

Should criminals be punished? Yes. Should a sadistic cowboy be allowed to use a public office as the staging ground for his bizarre social experiment? No.

You can tell Maricopa County is pronouncedly "red." Republicans will always take rhetoric over reality. They will vote for the biggest failures over and over again, just as long as they say the words that are the easiest to understand.

Tell a county full of republicans "I'm going to be tough on crime" and they'll keep voting for you, even as the crime rate escalates. Tell a county full of republicans "I'm going to reduce crime via a comprehensive plan including community involvement and rehabilitation" and they'll say "what? I don't understand that. I'm voting for the guy in the cowboy hat. He's a republican, and that means he loves Jesus."

Robert,

I don't have those statistics as of yet. I was going by the recent FBI report for the entire state. However, I will say that the jails in Phoenix are way overcrowded. Joe had to set up Tent City to house the overflow. New jails are going up all the time.

I will find out the specifics for Maricopa County and get back to you. But I can guarantee they are not any better than the state stats.

What are the numbers for Maricopa County though? My home county of Onslow NC is so far below the state and national crime rates it has been called the "safest county in America". Ed Brown is the Sheriff and he does not make life easy for the inmates. Having Camp LeJeune and a heavy population of Marines, active-retired-former, helps with the stats of course. How does Maricopa stand up in numbers to the rest of the state?

Let's review the crime rates for Arizona, shall we? These facts were taken from a recent FBI report on national crime.

Arizona ranks #1 in the nation in vehicle theft.

Arizona ranks #1 in the nation in property crime.

Arizona ranks #2 in the nation in larceny.

Arizona ranks #4 in the nation in burglary.

Arizona ranks #5 in the nation in homicide (up by 11% over 2003).

Rape has increased 13% over 2003.

Arizona ranks #1 in the nation in OVERALL CRIME RATE. Yes, that's right, #1 in the NATION. And according to the FBI, it has been this way since 2000.

Way to go, Joe! Keep up the good work!

You are so wrong it is not even funny. I for one am happy there are people like Joe Arpaio running jails like he does. I also think the scumbags in Gitmo are being coddled. Gourmet meals? Prayer rugs? Quorans? Screw that! Feed them the exact same crap the troops eat. Wake them up and make them work all day long. When they want to pray 5 times/day, beat them with rifle butts. In a world without bedwetters, they would all have been executed long ago for being armed civilians in a war zone. We did it to German partisans, just as every country involved in WW2 did it to anyone they caught fighting against them without benefit of uniforms. In fact, being caught without a uniform is illegal according to the Geneva Accords, and execution is specifically authorized. Every time one of their comrades takes someone hostage, execute one of the prisoners with a dull knife just like they do. I have no sympathy for any terrorists, don't care why they do it, don't care who they are. I notice that in fact, the same people whining about how mean we are to terrorists, are the same people who whine about being mean to ALL prisoners. You have it backwards Melissa.

What happened to innocent until proven guilty?Everyone in jail is not guilty.
You people that are always saying make jails harder are the same ones that protest the treatment of terrorists by soldiers. At least people in our jails are American citizens. Not all of them have are guilty of a crime.

Oh and if he was in Az.,i guarantee i know a lawyer that would tear sheriff joe a new one. If you can even call him a sheriff. Just because a bunch of holier than thou tards voted him into office doesnt mean hes fit to even wear a badge. When hes burning in hell im sure he will suffer the same treatment he is subjecting the inmates too.

However, it ain't a dry heat right now. Humidity is up and the thunderstorms have started (thank god).

At least the soldiers in the field get proper medical care and MREs. Sure beats the moldy bologna and stale bread those guys in Tent City get.

MREs aren't half bad if you know how to mix them right. The dried peaches mixed with the powdered creamer, add a little water, and viola! Peaches and cream for desert! Stay away from the chicken a-la-king though.

Like I said, I'm all for criminal justice and the penal system. But pink underwear and handcuffs? Does Joe honestly think having to wear pink underwear will deter crime? He once had web cams installed in booking. He was made to take them out as they violated a person's civil rights. He is still fighting to get them back in.

His methods obviously are not working. New jails are going up all the time to house the overflow of inmates. His department has been reprimanded on several occassions.

Last year, dozens of prostitution sting cases were thrown out of court by the State Prosecutor when it was discovered that his task force had actually committed sex acts with the offenders before busting (no pun intended) them.

Again, can't wait to move back to Florida. I miss going to the FSU home games, green grass, trees and water.

At least it's a dry heat. HAHAHAHAHA. Seriously, if it's good eneough for my military troops, it's more than adequate for an inmate.

At least it's a dry heat. HAHAHAHAHA. Seriously, if it's good eneough for my military troops, it's more than adequate for an inmate.

At least it's a dry heat. HAHAHAHAHA. Seriously, if it's good eneough for my military troops, it's more than adequate for an inmate.

At least it's a dry heat. HAHAHAHAHA. Seriously, if it's good eneough for my military troops, it's more than adequate for an inmate.

I've been arrested 3 times...twice for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Once was in NM. I lived in NC at the time and the magistrate let me sign myself out. I have never had handcuffs put on me by anyone but my wife(hehehehe). I've never even ridden in the back of a police car. I've never even had to testify. Each time, the trial ended when the accuser was caught telling lies on the stand. I was also told to come in for questioning in MD for a crime(robbery) that was committed by a guy who fit the same profile as me. We both worked at the same place, looked similar and had the same cars. Our girlfriends were also similar. I was questioned for about 30 minutes when the detective apologized for wasting my time and told me I could leave. So no, I don't know what it's like to be in jail. The number one reason for that is because I don't commit crimes.

Hello all,

First, let me say that none of you live here in the Valley of the Sun, so you don't know the true nature of Sheriff Joe and his band of flunkies. He only makes national news when it is to his benefit.

Saw a local report on 3 TV last night. They were interviewing Sheriff Joe about the possibility of the Sheriff's Dept hiring on a former Chandler PD officer who shot and killed a suspect after she filled a fake prescription. He was aquitted of murder charges, but Chandler PD refused to hire him back after the trail. Now he has applied to the MCSO.

Anyways, Joe was also asked about Tent City. For those who don't know, Tent City is a large outdoor area where tents have been set up to hold prisoners. There are three sections as follows (this was copied directly from the MCSO website):

"In-Tents Section:
There are 29 tents of male Working Inmates, 10 tents of female Working Inmates, and one control "Tower" of non-working fully sentenced male inmates in this Section. The tent compound includes a 60' observation tower (with a pink neon Vacancy sign) which is manned around the clock. The average daily population in In-Tents is about 1,000 inmates. Three detention officers are typically assigned to supervise "the yard".

Con-Tents Section:
There are 20 tents of Work Furlough and Work Release male inmates, and seven tents for Work Furlough and Work Release female inmates in this Section. The average daily population is nearly 400 inmates.

Pup-Tents Section:
The Pup-Tents Section has five large tents. The facility is capable of housing up to 100 male juvenile inmates who have been convicted and sentenced as adults. The compound also has a modular building with two high school classrooms, offices, and showers."

That's up to 1,500 inmates average per day. Well, Arizona (along with 23 other states) is experience heat in record numbers this year. In last night's report, the average temperature inside those tents was 140. Yes, I said 140! When asked about the temperature, Sheriff Joe just shrugged it off and said it was "livable".

Rabid dogs and prisoners of war get better treatment. Every year, there are wrongful death and false imprisonment lawsuits filed against Sheriff Joe and his "posse". I for one am sick and tired of my tax dollars being wasted on this crap. Thank goodness I'm moving back to Florida in a few years.

Steve, you got off lucky my friend. At least you got to spend your time indoors, even if it was pretty much in solitary. However, that is still no excuse for what they did to you.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for imprisonment of those who commit crimes. But I am also for humane treatment of prisoners.

Read my post above yours. I did nothing worng other than to have he wrong name. I still spent two weeks in jail for a crime I did not commit because the police would not investigate any evidence that would prove my innocence. I had documentary proof in my wallet at the time showing I was 50 miles from the scene of the crime I was detained for at the time the crime was committed. The police just catalogued my wallet and filed it away - no matter how much I protested that evidence that would prove my innocence was in their possession.

OK, what could I have done to prevent being arrested and treated like an animal?

Try to avoid going to jail. Medical attention was necessary and Rita says it was provided.

Rita also says after 'someone is sentenced' - which means a crime was committed? Rita - what exactly are your expectations of a jail? One on one attention? Doesn't exist. It's a warehouse for people who are arrested on the suspicion they have committed a crime. It's a way to hold a population of people behind bars until a judge can sort things out. Seems simple enough.

I'm a middle class woman who was in a very nasty divorce years ago. My ex attacked me at my front door in front of witnesses. Then he filed a complaint against me on advice from his attorney to complicate the issue in case I had filed a complaint over the assault.

I was arrested. When I got in front of the judge he knew what had happened. He ordered that I be released immediately. Immediately in Columbus, OH translates to about 22 hours. I wasn't cursing or hollering for an attorney. I was glad that I was believed - I was glad to be out.

I know that it wasn't likely I would ever do anything to be arrested for BEFORE that experience. But I know now that I will never - ever give into any impulse that could cause me to be arrested.

Because JAIL IS BAD. It is nasty while you are in there. It is hard to get out. Don't be a criminal. Jail is bad.

Kate in Toledo

I would hope that we as a society have outgrown the Star Chamber type of imprisonment, but you seem to like it. By your post you seem to believe that a person is "guilty until proven innocent". I hope some day YOU get to be a guest of someone like Sheriff Joe. You will quickly change your mind.

I was a guest of one of Sheriff Joe's counterparts (I cannot divulge where) for two weeks. I was accused of a crime and the police would not investigate any exculpatory evidence I showed them (it was a case of mistaken identity - someone with the same name as mine committed a crime and I had to prove I wasn't him). While I was a guest I was kept in my cell 24 hours a day - I was not allowed out for any exercise and meals (if you can call them that) were passed to me on paper lates through the bars. In the two weeks I was allowed one three minute shower and no changes of clothing. Medical attention was nonexistent. I was allowed no outgoing phone calls and even my family did not know where I was. It took nine days for me to be allowed to communicate with them. In that time my car was impounded and sold and the $400 cash I had at the time of arrest mysteriously disappeared. I later found out I was charged $400 for the costs of my detainment. KEEP IN MIND I WAS INNOCENT.

It turns out I recieved this treatment because I had not been convicted of any crime, and was only in jail because I was suspected of committing a crime. Had I been already convicted I would have had daily showers, daily exercise, changes of clothing every three days and medical care.

Now... why don't YOU try living like that for a week or two and see if your mind changes.

I completely agree with the previous poster! If more jails were like that, more people would be less inclined to commit crimes! Vote for Sherrif Joe!!

Will your husband ever commit the crime he was accused of again if he knows he'll be a guest of Joe's? I think not. Joe runs his jails the way we(the law abiding) want them run. It's too bad he can't run the entire penal system...the nations crime rate might go down if the prisoners were actually punished.