Jan 24, 2014
Self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" in the nation Joe Arpaio of Arizona has said that 38 inmates will be fed only bread and water for a week for allegedly defacing American flags.
As part of an initiative the Maricopa County sheriff began in November, each jail cell has a sticker of an American flag, and inmates were threatened with the bread and water diet if the sticker was defaced in any way.
"These inmates have destroyed the American flag that was placed in their cells," CNN reports Arpaio as saying. "Tearing them, writing on them, stepping on them, throwing them in the toilet, trash or wherever they feel. It's a disgrace ... this is government property that they are destroying, and we will take action against those who act this way."
In addition to the flags, Arpaio's nationalist push includes the daily playing of "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" over the jails' PA systems.
The sheriff announced in December that he would be segregating military veteran inmates to offer them special programs.
\u201cMeeting with military veteran inmates in their new segregated pod\u201d— Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@Sheriff Joe Arpaio) 1386799572
Arpaio is notorious for his for his treatment of inmates, including forcing inmates to wear pink underwear, using chain gangs, and his often sweltering "Tent City" jail which he referred to as a concentration camp.
\u201cITALIAN ICE donated by the local Food Bank was distributed to Tent City inmates; meanwhile temp inside a tent was 142\u201d— Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@Sheriff Joe Arpaio) 1372466728
In addition, a federal court found that Arpaio's office engaged in racial profiling.
________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" in the nation Joe Arpaio of Arizona has said that 38 inmates will be fed only bread and water for a week for allegedly defacing American flags.
As part of an initiative the Maricopa County sheriff began in November, each jail cell has a sticker of an American flag, and inmates were threatened with the bread and water diet if the sticker was defaced in any way.
"These inmates have destroyed the American flag that was placed in their cells," CNN reports Arpaio as saying. "Tearing them, writing on them, stepping on them, throwing them in the toilet, trash or wherever they feel. It's a disgrace ... this is government property that they are destroying, and we will take action against those who act this way."
In addition to the flags, Arpaio's nationalist push includes the daily playing of "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" over the jails' PA systems.
The sheriff announced in December that he would be segregating military veteran inmates to offer them special programs.
\u201cMeeting with military veteran inmates in their new segregated pod\u201d— Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@Sheriff Joe Arpaio) 1386799572
Arpaio is notorious for his for his treatment of inmates, including forcing inmates to wear pink underwear, using chain gangs, and his often sweltering "Tent City" jail which he referred to as a concentration camp.
\u201cITALIAN ICE donated by the local Food Bank was distributed to Tent City inmates; meanwhile temp inside a tent was 142\u201d— Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@Sheriff Joe Arpaio) 1372466728
In addition, a federal court found that Arpaio's office engaged in racial profiling.
________________
Self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" in the nation Joe Arpaio of Arizona has said that 38 inmates will be fed only bread and water for a week for allegedly defacing American flags.
As part of an initiative the Maricopa County sheriff began in November, each jail cell has a sticker of an American flag, and inmates were threatened with the bread and water diet if the sticker was defaced in any way.
"These inmates have destroyed the American flag that was placed in their cells," CNN reports Arpaio as saying. "Tearing them, writing on them, stepping on them, throwing them in the toilet, trash or wherever they feel. It's a disgrace ... this is government property that they are destroying, and we will take action against those who act this way."
In addition to the flags, Arpaio's nationalist push includes the daily playing of "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" over the jails' PA systems.
The sheriff announced in December that he would be segregating military veteran inmates to offer them special programs.
\u201cMeeting with military veteran inmates in their new segregated pod\u201d— Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@Sheriff Joe Arpaio) 1386799572
Arpaio is notorious for his for his treatment of inmates, including forcing inmates to wear pink underwear, using chain gangs, and his often sweltering "Tent City" jail which he referred to as a concentration camp.
\u201cITALIAN ICE donated by the local Food Bank was distributed to Tent City inmates; meanwhile temp inside a tent was 142\u201d— Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@Sheriff Joe Arpaio) 1372466728
In addition, a federal court found that Arpaio's office engaged in racial profiling.
________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.