PHOENIX (AP) — A federal jury ruled Friday in favor of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in a lawsuit that claimed its policy of forcing resistant inmates with psychological problems to wear jail uniforms was unconstitutional.

The lawsuit centered on the detention of Eric Vogel, a mentally ill man who in November 2001 refused to get out of his street clothes and into the striped jail suit and pink underwear that are fixtures in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s jails.

Joel Robbins, an attorney who argued the case against the sheriff’s office, says as jail officers removed Vogel’s clothes, Vogel mistakenly viewed the pink underwear as an attempt to rape him, even though the officers didn’t sexually assault him. He didn’t suffer physical injuries.

Vogel, who had been arrested by Phoenix police on aggravated assault and other charges, died two weeks after his release.

In a written statement, Arpaio said the verdict is proof that his jail officers don’t violate people’s civil rights.

Robbins said the judge had forbid references to the pink underwear, so he was left to contest the dressing policy. He said he plans to appeal Friday’s judgment.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/local/mcso_jail_policy_lawsuit_020510

Joe Arpaio is a Punk [Explicit]

Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona may be the last of the rough and tough law men who puts the safety and security of the citizens above the liberal rhetoric of politicians and legislators. Sheriff Arpaio and his band of posses have captured countless numbers of law breaking illegal aliens and others who wish to do harm to the American people. And what does he get for his valiant efforts? A kick in the teeth from the progressive left.

We live in an era where crime is on the rise and violence has reached staggering proportions. The common sense approach to this threat to our existence is to increase security measures and deal a heavy hand of punishment to the offenders. However, certain segments of society would rather coddle the offender and picket for his rights. This is a recipe for disaster is one road that Sheriff Joe Arpaio refuses to travel. Instead, the sheriff has meted out a sentence and prison living conditions that have liberals screaming, yet they cannot deny that the Maricopa County sheriff has the lowest recidivism rate in the nation.

An inmate in Sheriff Arpaio’s camp will have a memory to take with him when he leaves, one that will curtail his decision to cross the law again. There are no perks in his incarceration facility, no basketball courts and no TV. The inmates must pitch their own tents under the Arizona desert sky and are issued a garment to wear in a lovely shade of pink. Meals are simple and sustainable with basic lunch meats and no dessert. To the average clear thinking American, what is the big deal that the inmates are not treated as though they enrolled in summer camp? Yet, to the average liberal, this form of punishment is considered cruel and unusual, turning their teeth on their protector and they sympathies on the criminals. The world is upside down.

And this backward view of crime and punishment is coming down from the highest levels in Washington, with their soft approach contributing to the determent of our safety and security. The federal government has warned Sheriff Arpaio to cease and desist from upholding the law, in favor of their loosely defined statutes. However, the sheriff has remained firm and adamant that he will continue to uphold Arizona law and enforce the code by the books to honor the people who elected him.

Hard Time: Life with Sheriff Joe Arpaio in America's Toughest JailSheriff Joe Arpaio is known as the Angel of Death--Shaun Attwood served 26 months in Arpaio's jail before being sentenced to prison. Prison was easier. This is his story.

Shaun Attwood was a millionaire day trader in Arizona, but his hedonistic lifestyle of drugs and parties came to an abrupt end in 2002 when a SWAT team broke down his door. Shaun found himself on remand in Maricopa jail with a $750,000 cash bond and all of his assets seized. The nightmare was only just beginning as he was submerged in a jail in which rival gangs vied for control, crystal meth was freely available, and where breaking rules could result in beatings or death. Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jails have the highest death rate in the U.S. Hard Time is the harrowing yet darkly humorous account of the time Shaun spent submerged in a nightmarish world of gang violence and insect-infested cells, eating food unfit for animals. His remarkable story provides a revealing glimpse into the tragedy, brutality, comedy, and eccentricity of prison life. 24 color photographs.