Arizona Sheriff Says He Will Put Women Inmates On Chain Gang Female Prisoners Also To Wear-Black-White Striped Uniforms

Proclaiming himself an “equal opportunity incarcerator,” Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he plans to put the nation’s first female chain gang to work next month.

“I don’t believe in discrimination in my jail system,” he said. “I feel that women should be treated just like men.”

Arpaio, who revels in his reputation as the nation’s toughest sheriff, began his chain gangs for men more than a year ago, linking inmates by leg irons and putting them on busy streets to pull weeds or paint over graffiti.

Beginning Sept. 21, women inmates will start doing the same thing. “These women will be placed in the same areas where I place the men, out in the streets of Phoenix where everybody can see them,” he said.

Arpaio also said his women inmates would be among the first to wear new jail uniforms: pants and tops with black horizontal stripes.

Each chain gang will be made up of 15 inmates working five days a week for 30 days.

Arpaio said 34 inmates already have applied for a spot on the chain gang. The applications came from women now locked up in dank, cramped disciplinary cells.

“We have women who live in their homes and do hard labor - washing floors and everything else, so I don’t think this labor is going to bother them,” the sheriff said.

“If women can fight for their country … if they can walk a beat, if they can protect the people and arrest violators of the law, then they should have no problem with picking up trash in 120-degrees.”

Last year, Alabama was the first state to revive chain gangs, followed by Florida and Arizona. But in April, Alabama Corrections Commissioner Ron Jones was fired after suggesting putting women on chain gangs.