"America's Toughest Sheriff": Is he doing his job or is he crossing legal or ethical boundaries?

I hate that guy.

Yeah, I’m not too thrilled with him either. The sheriff in my old hometown idolizes that asshat, too.

Some of his ideas are okay, I don’t have a problem with the gangs out doing road work and the like. I don’t think there is any rehabilitation in lifting weights and getting tattoos so they might as well be doing something useful while taxpayers are paying their room and board.

I am so glad I don’t live in arizona anymore…

@cheebdragon: why??? are you in jail or do you deserve to go to jail?

I think every incarceration facility in the US should use his as an example. Jail is not jail anymore, it’s a free rent motel room.
What the hell happened to jail being punishment? What happened to the idea that going to jail was bad? Where’s the deterrent in getting free meals, free medical, cable tv, and a clean room every day? Get real, people. You want rehab that works, make the experience so crappy that they will not want to go back.

@pekenoe Are you serious? Jail is a nightmare.

@pekenoe- About Joe Arpaio

Don’t people get assaulted/murdered/raped in jail? I always thought jail was pretty brutal…

Good, jail is a nightmare. Evidently it is not enough of one though, there are still plenty of individuals that don’t mind going there.

I actually don’t have a problem with requiring convicted criminals to ‘earn their keep’ by working while in prison. I do have a problem with racial profiling, concentrating on broken tail-lights in order to catch illegal immigrants, and treating people in a less than humane way.

Making people live outside in Arizona heat, is more than cruel. Animals in the pound have better living conditions.

I hope the “bleeding hearts” that consider the Arizona jail system or any other to be an inhumane criminal place have the pleasure of a midnight visit by a burglar, rapist, druggie, or have their loved ones touched by an individual that really doesn’t mind jail cause it’s better than home.

Wow pekenoe. Way to wish us harm! I hope someday you are touched by a conscious.

There evidently is no other way to have people see the damage that is caused by not punishing evildoers. If you make the punishment severe enough it will stop criminals from doing that particular act. If you slap their hand, they will continue their merry way.

If a thief was to lose a finger after being convicted of his first offense, a hand after the second, I would wager that there may be a few one handed people around but there would be very very few missing both hands.

*Conscience. I meant conscience.

@pekenoe- yeah, well I hope you end up in tent city one day.

@cheebdragon : Considerate, you may, but me…...not a chance, I live within the laws and am happy to do so. Anyone who disregards the law needs to get their crap together, and jails like AZ help. Shaq didn’t seem to mind the place much.

I’ve lived in the state of Arizona for a few years now and that tent city is for all screw ups, not just illegal immigrants. This sheriff gets my sympathy for not wanting to see this state become the capital for prisons as it already is for meth production and dog fighting. Why should all the crap come to rest here? Why am I never afraid to be out and about in this city/state? Because I’m not doing wrong, that’s why. Fuck ups are on their own.

I think he’s crossed the line. The most recent flap with his deputy stealing privileged legal documents is just one example. He basically told the deputy to disobey the judge in the case, and is now going on a personal and professional vendetta against the judge. Plus he’s also intimidated his political opponents by spying on them and bringing them up on bogus charges.

The man is a tin-pot dictator and should not be in law enforcement.