Hunger strike could lead to jail lockdown

by Jim Cross/KTAR (May 18th, 2009 @ 4:59am)

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Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio considered putting some of his jails under lockdown Monday because of an ongoing hunger strike by inmates.

The sheriff said most of the 1,100 inmates who refused to eat Sunday night are in the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix. He said it was likely that jail would be locked down Monday, along with the Lower Buckeye Jail and the Towers Jail.

The sheriff planned to decide Monday morning whether to put the inmates under 23-hour lockdown, with a loss of visitation and other privileges.

Arpaio said the hunger strike began on May 2, the same day that thousands of people marched in Phoenix in protest to the sheriff's immigration policies.

"It just looks like they're using food as a political hammer against me," Arpaio told News/Talk 92-3 KTAR's Jay Lawrence. "I'm talking about lawyers and activists."

He vowed that the hunger strike would not be successful.

"We have these guys in jails who are charged with murder, rape, and they don't like the food," said Arpaio. "Well, that's a little tough. I'm not going to give in. I won't change the menu."

He asked, "What am I running, the Hilton Hotel here? They're still getting food. They're getting ham and beans and broccoli. What do they want, t-bone steaks? They are going to eat our menu."

The sheriff said at least six inmates, who wanted to end the hunger strike, have been put in protective custody to prevent retaliation from fellow inmates who want to continue the strike.

Last 5 Comments

• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Institutional Food

  NamasteUSA

  Like it or not, it is institutional food. Right or wrong if you get there you pay the price of having to eat this food. If you are one of the criminals that deserve to be there, this is what you have to look forward to. If you don't belong there, hopefully, you will get out soon. This is what one must endure when institutionalized. Nothing to look forward to, however, there are other stories about how the Hispanics bribe the kitchen staff and get all the corn tortillas in other institutions so the rest of the inmates get none.

  17256
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  The sheep and the goats

  EricFranco

  31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

  17240
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Lock them down..no one cares

  AZMomma

  Let the protesters go into lock down. No one (except the pro-criminal element) cares if they starve or not. MCSD food is edible...NOT what I would like on my plate, but then I do not end up in jail or Tent City. It is one of the penalties you get for getting incarcerated. Tough beans.

  17231
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Arpaio can demonstrate the acceptability

  abogada987

  of his jail menu by calling the press to the jails and allowing himself to be served, and eating, a random sampling of the indigestibles he serves those incarcerated. I'm guessing that he would gag, the same way that he gags when he's ordered by the courts to abide by the U.S. Constitution. As anyone posting on this space should know, that vast majority of those in custody have not yet been found guilty of any crime. And the court's have determined repeatedly that the Sheriff's jails must meet minimum Constitutional standards, something the Sheriff is loathe to do.

  17225
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  I listened to him last night

  Rocker

  one think that is funny about this is the Hispanics housed in tent city are not the ones striking, the protesters led by Mary Rose Wicox, missed their target and influenced the wrong group of inmates. LOL.........

  17213
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