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by Tom Rhodes | |
Phoenix |
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THE mornings are icy in the |
desert scrubland outside Phoenix, |
and Christopher Gingerich’s |
hands shake with cold as he eats |
a meagre breakfast in his tent. A |
single overhead heater barely |
penetrates the cold air, while thin |
prison clothes offer little warmth |
for Gingerich, 16, and his fellow |
teenagers as they huddle together |
eating a slop of powdered eggs. |
Dressed in black and white |
stripes and pink undergarments |
they look almost comical. But |
there is no laughter from the |
group of solitary campers. Last |
month they became the first |
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| | juveniles in America forced into | | | | that they will be treated no | | 13 | | Made possible by state legislation |
| | a tented jail. Soon they could | | | | differently than adults.’ | | | | that allows 14 to 17-yearolds |
| | become the first to form a chain | | 8 | | Arpaio’s methods are legen- | | | | to be convicted as adults, the |
| | gang. | | | | dary. He already runs the only | | | | first juvenile tents have provoked |
3 | | ‘The cold nights are just the | | | | female chain gang in the country. | | | | fierce protests from civil rights |
| | start,’ said Gingerich, after his | | | | The introduction of pink under- | | | | activists. Amnesty International |
| | dawn ritual of exercise followed | | | | wear was another means to | | | | claims Arpaio’s harsh justice |
| | by a freezing shower. ‘There’s no | | | | embarrass the young inmates. | | | | merits a ‘Nobel Prize’ for cruelty. |
| | tolerance in here. You make one | | 9 | | Coffee and cigarettes, the sta- | | 14 | | Arpaio’s opponents are convinced |
| | mistake and they lock you up 23 | | | | ples of almost every American | | | | the teen tents won’t work: |
| | hours a day. Then it’s the chain | | | | and British jail, are banned. | | | | ‘The more repressive you get with |
| | gang.’ | | | | Other luxuries and entertainment | | | | juveniles, the more you reverse |
4 | | The crimes committed by the | | | | are equally scarce. Donald Duck | | | | the process of rehabilitation,’ |
| | young prisoners range from at- | | | | cartoons, Lassie films and a | | | | said Malcolm Klein, a professor |
| | tempted murder to burglary and | | | | weather channel are broadcast | | | | of sociology at the University of |
| | from rape to sexual assault. But | | | | on a single television set. | | | | Southern California.’ |
| | most would say their biggest | | 10 | | The only concession to age is | | 15 | | Sheriff Joe has been elected |
| | mistake was to commit a crime in | | | | a series of portable buildings in | | | | twice by at least 90% of the |
| | the jurisdiction of Joe Arpaio, a | | | | which the young prisoners spend | | | | voters of Maricopa County. He |
| | man who is known to all as the | | | | at least four hours each day. | | | | ignores the criticism. ‘It’s all rubbish,’ |
| | meanest sheriff in America. | | | | Known as Hard Knocks High, | | | | he said. ‘People set you up |
5 | | He has justifiably earned the | | | | these cabins offer education to | | | | and then they try to knock you |
| | title. Arpaio, 66, who runs the | | | | high school standard. The sheriff | | | | down. Ask the parents of these |
| | third largest sheriff’s office in the | | | | also provides computers and | | | | young criminals what they think.’ |
| | country, says he operates on a | | | | desks. | | 16 | | Kim Gingerich has yet to visit |
| | simple philosophy: “Nobody | | 11 | | Outside there are no such | | | | her son in the tent city. She is almost |
| | should live better in prison than | | | | frills. The tents are surrounded | | | | convinced that Christopher |
| | they do outside.” | | | | by 12ft high fences topped with | | | | is without hope of rehabilitation. |
6 | | His tent cities were set up in | | | | barbed wire. German shepherd | | | | He has moved from detention |
| | 1993 to save money and relieve | | | | dogs equipped with collar came- | | | | centre to halfway house, finally |
| | the crowded jails. First there | | | | ras patrol the area 24 hours a day | | | | being charged as an adult after |
| | were 1,200 men. Then came 200 | | | | to ensure that nobody leaves his | | | | he broke probation and ran away |
| | women, and now the first batch | | | | tent without authorisation. Arpaio | | | | from home. ‘I just pray these |
| | of juveniles in what Arpaio calls | | | | even proudly assures visitors that | | | | tents are bad enough - I really |
| | the ‘pups’ tents’. | | | | he spends more each day on dog | | | | do,’ she said. ‘I can’t bear to see |
7 | | ‘I could say that what I do is | | | | meat than he does on prison food. | | | | him suffer, but Christopher’s |
| | all about saving taxpayers’ | | 12 | | A neon vacancy sign blinks all | | | | been outsmarting the system for |
| | money,’ he said. ‘But this is about | | | | night above the tents, another | | | | so long, it’s what he needs.’ |
| | punishment, and I want juveniles | | | | icon of Arpaio’s culture of humil- | | | | |
| | who commit crimes to realise | | | | iation. | | | | ‘The Sunday Times’ |
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