Joe Arpaio Offers Inmates, Fed Only Twice A Day, 56-Cent Thanksgiving Meal

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has planned a particularly economical meal for the roughly 7,500 to 10,000 inmates in his jail system this Thanksgiving.

The meal comes in at a cost of just 56 cents per inmate, and its main entrée will be 24-cent vegetarian turkey soy casserole. Arpaio tweeted the Thanksgiving menu Wednesday morning.

“Hope the inmates give thanks for this special meal being served in the jails tomorrow," Arpaio's tweet said.

The official Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office website features a bio of Arpaio that touts his accomplishments in providing inmates with “the cheapest meals in the U.S.” by feeding inmates “only twice daily, to cut the labor costs of meal delivery." Arpaio has “even stopped serving them salt and pepper” to save taxpayer money, according to the bio.

The average meal for an inmate in a Maricopa County jail costs between 15 and 40 cents, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office website.

In September, Arpaio implemented a vegetarian diet for inmates in an effort to save $100,000 on food costs for prisoners. He also announced in March a plan to charge inmates $1 for their meals, according to ABC15.

"Everybody else has to pay for their food, why should [inmates] get freebies?" Arpaio said in an ABC15 news video.

Last Thanksgiving, the controversial sheriff complained about the cost of providing a Thanksgiving meal to each inmate in a press release, calling the “whopping 68 cents” paid for every meal an “astronomical increase" from the cost of previous Thanksgiving dinners.

A 2012 East Oregonian article about a Thanksgiving dinner for inmates that cost 98 cents per prisoner quoted an assistant prison superintendent, who noted that treating inmates with a sense of humanity at the holidays helps prepare them for life after prison and may reduce recidivism rates. "We don't want to release angry inmates," the assistant noted. The Oregon meal included 634 pounds of sliced turkey breast, cranberry sauce and gravy.

In a Veteran’s Day press release earlier this month, Arpaio announced another questionable jailhouse initiative called “Patriotic Jails,” which introduced an exclusively “bread and water" diet for 30-day periods of time as punishment for allegedly unpatriotic acts.

“Any defacement or vandalism of the flags by inmates comes with the penalty of bread and water. Ten inmates are currently on bread and water for this infraction,” Arpaio said in the press release.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/joe-arpaio-thanksgiving_n_4351729.html

[Karee 4,190]

Joe Arpaio is a ####### that is in love with Joe Arpaio.

[Pooky 3,784]

Joe Arpaio also beat off a Democrat attempt to recall him - an attempt backed by some serious money, but which fell a ways short of the necessary signatures to succeed.

Whatever the general opinion of the good sheriff, enough of the voters in Maricopa County seem to like him and the job he does. Enough to thumb their collective nose at outside rabble-rousers with an idea to remove the most public symbol of opposition to illegal immigration.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Joe Arpaio is a ####### that is in love with Joe Arpaio.

I take it that you sent in a sizeable donation to feed the prisoners . We need more public servants like Joe looking out for the pocketbooks of the hard working county taxpayers.

[Karee 4,190]

I take it that you sent in a sizeable donation to feed the prisoners . We need more public servants like Joe looking out for the pocketbooks of the hard working county taxpayers.

I see he has you fooled as well. He's not about saving money. He's about humiliating people and getting attention in the press.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Arpaio is responsible for a number of deaths in Maricopa Country Jails of prisoners that were under his department's custody. It's a travesty that he hasn't been prosecuted for that, let alone removed from office.

Edited November 28, 2013 by Papa Lazarou

[Pooky 3,784]

I see he has you fooled as well. He's not about saving money. He's about humiliating people and getting attention in the press.

Surely, rehabilitating offenders involves ensuring that they do not repeat their offence?

If the good sheriff's methods bring about this rehabilitation, then surely they can be called a success? It is apparent that his electorate believe this to be the case, as, if his methods were not seen as successful, surely the voters would elect someone else, with a different idea of how to produce results?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

There is no evidence that his strategies have reduced reoffending. He actually funded a university study to compare reoffending rates under him Vs. his predecessor. Unfortunately the results showed no difference in reoffending rates either before or after. So to me that says that Joe is more about promoting himself than in actually demonstrating real results.

The Wikipedia page for Sheriff Joe makes for some interesting reading - lots and lots of new links.

Edited November 28, 2013 by Papa Lazarou

[Karee 4,190]

Surely, rehabilitating offenders involves ensuring that they do not repeat their offence?

If the good sheriff's methods bring about this rehabilitation, then surely they can be called a success? It is apparent that his electorate believe this to be the case, as, if his methods were not seen as successful, surely the voters would elect someone else, with a different idea of how to produce results?

Seems the "good sheriff's" policies aren't having much of an effect on crime:

Crime Trends

Over the preceding 10 years, crime data were available in Maricopa County, Arizona for all 10 years. During that time frame, reported crime in Maricopa County has grown by 9%. During that same interval, violent crime grew by 16%. On the whole, the crime figures reflect a slight growth in crime over the last 10 years in Maricopa County. If the current trend continues, predicted crime numbers could hit almost two hundred and three thousand for Maricopa County, Arizona in 2009.

Embed this graph

Source:

http://recordspedia.com/Arizona/Maricopa-County/Crime-Statistics

This while most of the rest of the country has had dramatic decreases in violent crime. Also, I think you're putting too much stock in the intelligence of the average voter.

[Pooky 3,784]

The Wikipedia page for Sheriff Joe makes for some interesting reading - lots and lots of new links.

And I'll bet little or none of the Wikipedia content originates from his constituents, just as little or none of the unsuccessful recall campaign's funding came from them. There has been a sustained effort to remove the good sheriff, almost all of it because of what he does, not how he does it.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Taxpayers are getting hit with kenyan kare and all that goes with it. You have to cut cost where and when you can.... as I said I am sure you can send in a large donation in the next few weeks to pay for a NICE home cooked Christmas dinner, I ate tofu turkey once for thanksgiving..... I survived it. Liberals start getting the check books out if you feel sorry ...really sorry about what they eat.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

He's a highly questionable figure - people only like him because they like to read headlines about prisoners being forced to wear pink outfits and his zero tolerance to illegal immigration.

When you read about abuses of prisoners in his jails, multiple suspicious deaths in custody, 10's of millions of $$$ being paid out in wrongful death suits, misappropriation of funds, bullying political opponents (using law enforcement to spy and harrass on people) and failing to investigate serious crimes - the picture becomes a bit darker.

He's a crook.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

And I'll bet little or none of the Wikipedia content originates from his constituents, just as little or none of the unsuccessful recall campaign's funding came from them. There has been a sustained effort to remove the good sheriff, almost all of it because of what he does, not how he does it.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make there. That there's a massive conspiracy (covering dozens of people in the media, government and judiciary) to unseat this guy?

It's much more likely that he's just crooked. At least read what's been said about the guy before you rush to judgement. I did.

[Karee 4,190]

Here's a county that is mere feet from one of the most dangerous cities in the world:

Crime Trends

Over the preceding 10 years, crime data were available in El Paso County, Texas for all 10 years. During that time frame, reported crime in El Paso County has lessened by 45%. During the same interval, violent crime decreased by 36%. On the whole, the crime figures reflect a slight reduction in crime over the last 10 years in El Paso County. If the current trend continues, predicted crime numbers could fall to twenty-one thousand for El Paso County, Texas in 2009.

Embed this graph

Keep in mind that these graphs show reported crime numbers and certain sharp changes in crime figures might be the result of changes in reporting, not actual changes in crime rates.

Source:

http://recordspedia.com/Texas/El-Paso-County/Crime-Statistics

That Sheriff seems to accomplish his goals without making people wear pink underwear or have his name in the news 24/7.

[Karee 4,190]

Taxpayers are getting hit with kenyan kare and all that goes with it. You have to cut cost where and when you can.... as I said I am sure you can send in a large donation in the next few weeks to pay for a NICE home cooked Christmas dinner, I ate tofu turkey once for thanksgiving..... I survived it. Liberals start getting the check books out if you feel sorry ...really sorry about what they eat.

You're the first person that's ever accused me of being a liberal around here. Congratulations!