The lockdown of the Maricopa County 4th Avenue Jail has been lifted. The lockdown, which lasted nearly three weeks, was caused by threats from different racial groups of inmates including the Mexican Mafia.
The lockdown was initially ordered by Sheriff Arpaio when a large scale fight broke out between Hispanic and black inmates. The lockdown was previously lifted last week and quickly reversed when officers noticed inmates grouping by race and it appeared that the tensions had not subsided.
At least 150 inmates were moved last week by Sheriff’s officers to accommodate an increasing number of violent inmates currently being held in the 4th Avenue Jail.
Officers from the Sheriff’s Jail Intelligence Unit monitored the situation during the three-week period.
During a monitored telephone conversation from the jail, an inmate stated that the black inmates felt that they were under attack from all of the other races. One inmate said that the decision to lockdown the jail, “saved our lives.”
Sheriff Arpaio says, “We are continuing to monitor the situation and will not hesitate to place the jail on lockdown again if we continue to learn of threats on any group of inmates.”