Being sent to jail is supposed to teach criminals a lesson: that is the approach Sheriff Joe Arpaio takes on running his jails, especially one called Tent City. Joe Arpaio himself even described Tent City as a concentration camp. Tent City is made up of military-style tents, which are used to house inmates. It was originally created as an extension of the Maricopa County Jail after it overflowed, but Tent City grabbed the nation’s attention and has shown to be effective enough to stay. Along with all of Tent City’s fans, there is a large amount of critics, many of which calling it inhumane and unconstitutional. Tent City is rough on inmates, but saves taxpayers millions of dollars in prison housing costs. Should more jails around the nation follow in Tent City’s footsteps or should it be shut down? I personally believe that Tent City is effective in correcting inmates and saving money: more jails should follow in its path into a safer United States.
Many criminals pass through the United States jail system learning no lesson, being unafraid of going to jail, and then they are released back on to the streets. Some even want to go back to prison because it is seemingly easier than real life to them. That is the complete opposite of what prison should mean to the people of our nation. Inmates in jails should feel punished and guilty. What they did was wrong and they should never do it again. They are supposed to be corrected in a way that makes them commit no further crimes.
Joe Arpaio runs Tent City with a purpose. Arpaio said that the concept of housing inmates in tents still sends a message and that he doesn’t see any problems with housing inmates in tents; he often points out that some members of the U.S. military even live in tents (The Associated Press). He believes that inmates should never live in a jail that is more comfortable than where they live on the outside. Inmates living in Tent City have to deal with Arizona’s intense heat. In 2011, when the temperature in Phoenix hit 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature inside Tent City measured 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Inmates complained that their fans were broken, and that their shoes were melting from the blistering heat. "It feels like you are in a furnace," said James Zanzo't, an inmate who lived in the tents for 1 1/2 years (CNN Articles). The temperature is a huge downside for inmates, but they do get the privilege of being outside. The heat is one of many factors of Tent City that force inmates into a life with no crime when they are released. Another factor that scares the inmates is the huge cockroaches that sometimes live in their tents. Tent City is effective in teaching inmates that if they commit crimes they will be sent back to live with cockroaches in triple digit temperatures.
Tent City is keeping criminals from committing more crimes just by giving them the thought of living in that type of environment. According to Parker Leavitt, from the Arizona Republic, “The Maricopa County crime rate, which dropped 19 percent between 2004 and 2008, is declining more than twice as quickly as the national average.” Arpaio said that he receives many calls from inmates who have already served their time. They thank him and tell him they hate tents. He replies, "That's music to my ears (The Associated Press)." Arpaio wants ex-convicts from Tent City to remember their experience and never want to go back to it.
Tent City has shown to be effective, but there are still a lot of critics against it. They call it inhumane and cruel. Jails were not made to be fun and easy for criminals, but a place to house and correct them. A jail is not correcting inmates if they are given what they want; that is too rewarding and does not teach them any lesson. Joe Arpaio is not concerned with unnecessary amenities. In 1993, The sheriff cut adult magazines, cigarettes, hot lunch, and television except for a literacy program that is broadcasted every night. Arpaio also cut coffee and switched the lunches to bologna and saved about $650,000 annually. Each prisoner pays for their meals, which are worth ninety cents a day; each guard dog is fed better, with meals that are worth one dollar and ten cents daily (CNN Articles). I agree with Arpaio in cutting what is unnecessary and changing things that will save money. By doing that, he has saved the jail millions of dollars.
In conclusion, Tent City is rough on inmates, but only to give them punishment for their actions and to also save money. Maricopa County's Tent City has benefitted both economically and in the aspect of correcting an inmate. Multiple benefits of Tent City have been shown throughout this essay. These include how Tent City has helped lower the community's crime rate, the millions of dollars it has saved, and its effectiveness in keeping convicts from committing more crimes. Other jails around the nation should follow in Tent City's footsteps in order to achieve economically and correct more inmates.
