MCSO moves more than 770 inmates to different jail
Oct 4, 2012, 5:21 PM | Updated: Oct 5, 2012, 9:54 am
Over 770 inmates were moved to another Valley jail on Thursday due to overcrowding, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.
A rise in inmates forced the transfer, which involved the inmates walking 300 yards from the Lower Buckeye Jail to the Towers Jail while in chains and handcuffs and under the supervision of deputies.
“Because our jail population is always changing, we often must reassess how and where we house inmates to ensure their safety,” said Towers Jail Commander Cpt. Irene Baron-Irby in a release. “Sheriff Arpaio demands that we do what is necessary to safely create more room without the possibility of releasing criminals early. Today’s massive inmate shift meets his objective.”
In addition to the transfer, MCSO reorganized the housing system to make better use of jail space.
The transfer took about eight hours to complete.
