Calling it a ‘circus,’ Sheriff Joe’s successor shutters Tent City

By Brian Seay

Inmates sit at their bunks at Tent City Jail in Maricopa County. (Photo: Charlie Riedel/ Associated Press)
After more than two decades, former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s notorious outdoor Tent City Jail will close.
At a press conference Tuesday, the new sheriff in town, Sheriff Paul Penzone, announced the closing of the prison, saying the facility will be shuttered within 60 days.
Arpaio opened the facility after taking office in 1993. The open air facility saw inmates living outdoors during Arizona’s sweltering hot summers, and Arpaio famously had them wear striped prison uniforms and pink underwear.
With an average annual cost of $8.7 million, it had a 2,100 inmate capacity, but only about 800 inmates have been housed there in recent years. Penzone said a methodical review found that Tent City did not deter crime, was not tough on criminals and was not cost efficient.
“That may have been the intent when it was first opened and there was a need,” Penzone said. “But this facility became more of a circus atmosphere for the general public. Starting today, that circus ends, and these tents come down.”
Calling it a concentration camp, Penzone said Tent City became a preferred location for inmates.
“We’re going to give the criminals what

Source: Guns.com