Los Angeles, CA. Arizona's Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and L. A. County Sheriff Leroy Baca take each other to task over how they must deal with operating their respective jail systems in a seven minute Full Disclosure Network® video news blog. The video is available FREE, 24/7, on demand at the as a public service and viewers are encouraged to leave their comments and join the discussion.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio is often referred to as "the Toughest Sheriff in America" because he houses jail inmates in Korean war tents on the desert in temperatures that reach up to 140 degrees in the summer time. In this video he boasts about spending only 30 cents a day, per inmate, for meals saying he hopes they will never come back to jail once released. He challenges Sheriff Baca's early release program by inviting him to send the overflow of inmates from L. A. to Maricopa County where he proudly displays a vacancy sign and promotes the austere accomodations for the 10,000 plus inmates in his jails.
Sheriff Baca points out that criminals in Los Angeles county jails are tougher and more violent and make Sheriff Joe's jails look like a "summer camp". Baca points out that in L.A. County jails there are 1,200 murderers waiting for trial and 4,000 gang members who commit 500 murders a year. Baca also says that Sheriff Joe's criminals are mild compared to those in L. A., that they have committed lesser offenses and are not the hard core criminals such as in Los Angeles County jails.
This short video news blog demonstrates the striking contrast in policies and attitude in Arizona and California. The Sheriffs offer their own rationalization for circumstances in their jails. At the close of the video news blog viewers are asked to participate in a survey on which policies are best.
Full Disclosure Network's® regular cable and Internet television programs are featured on 43 cable television systems and video streamed on the Internet at the website www.fulldisclosure.net. Channels and airtimes are listed here.
The
Full Disclosure® program is billed as
"the news behind the news." In 2002 host Leslie Dutton was presented with a local public affairs Emmy by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for the series entitled "L.A.'s War Against Terrorism". Dutton has been conducting interviews for the past fourteen years with local, state and national law enforcement officials in order to inform the public on critical police policies and procedures.
Comments to date: 45. This is page 1 of 5.
Don R. Maricopa County, AZ
Posted: 11:21 am [PST] on January 09 2010
Fortunately, I won't have to pay a .5% sales tax because Joe is my Sheriff and he isn't asking for taxpayers money. He is enforcing the law and doing it within his budget. (Much to the county board of supervisors chagrin.)
joe banana So. Cal
Posted: 08:21 pm [PST] on July 07 2009
The "land of the free", with the highest prison population of the entire planet. Too many laws, and a corrupt court system aren't good for a nation. The court system in America is just another hidden tax. I remember when a parking ticket was $10, now they're $75,+ a penalty assessment fee of 170% of the original fine. My question is, why does it cost so much, to make you pay them money? Isn't that blatant extortion?
Anonymous Location unknown
Posted: 04:37 pm [PST] on November 24 2008
Unpleasant punishment may deter a criminal for a short period but fear is nott the path to everlasting long-term obedience.
ramon mata la habra california
Posted: 08:08 pm [PST] on October 13 2008
i enjoyed your blog on slate mailers it was very informative
Paula Adams Rockford, IL
Posted: 03:41 am [PST] on August 01 2008
I'd be willing to have a tax increase to provide housing for low income, law abiding citizens, but not to provide criminals with better accommodations than what 50% of America has. You have hard working productive members of this nation that cannot afford health insurance, cable TV, air conditioning. Yet, if they break the law, these ammenities are provided at no charge from taxes taken from the paychecks of those struggling to make ends meet from paycheck to paycheck. PLEEEEEASE!!
Camille Russell Location unknown
Posted: 09:43 pm [PST] on May 28 2008
I agree alot with Joe Arpaio but not to the level of meals and pink underwear! You want to reform the ones you can not scar them more which is the reason a lot of people become criminals in the first place.
vjg515 Location unknown
Posted: 11:58 am [PST] on May 23 2008
if you do a crime like armed robbery,murder,rape,you should not be comfortable,you should lose all your right's as a respectable citizen!! and your freedom takin away!! lockem in there cell and keepem in it!! i just don't understand it.
vjg515 Location unknown
Posted: 11:47 am [PST] on May 23 2008
i can never understand why jails have so many problems.gangs, guards geting stabed,beat up,imates doin drugs,exct.when you get arrested and go to jail KEEP THE IMATES IN THERE CELL THROW AWAY THE KEY!! TILL THERE SENTENCE IS UP!!! simple as that!! no we let them converse with oneanther,workout, playball,and make freinds with others.this practice is riddiculas plain and simple. lockem up in there cell till there sentence is up!! allow them out just to shower with a guard near by.something so simple will save lifes,make the immate think next time he does a crime,and save the lives of guards,it will end prison gangs KEEP THEM IN THERE CELLS!! so simple
Bill Nicoll Glendale, CA
Posted: 11:20 am [PST] on May 04 2008
The bleeding hearts in our society require that the cons lead a more comfortable life. The only thing a prisoner suffers is loss of freedom. All else is likely equal to or better than they had it on the outside. We should also change the penalty structure for those with infractions such as drug use where the only one harmed by the offender is him/herself.
John Jackson Wildomar, CA
Posted: 08:59 am [PST] on May 04 2008
As a retired LASD Deputy (Sgt) I know the legal system is the cause. Baca is correct, that AZ does not experience the severity of crimes. CA could come to a much better way of dealing with crime in our jail system if it were not for the bleeding heart liberals that run this State...LA is run by the Mexican government.