Inmates who once served in the U.S. military will honor those who served in a unique way this Veteran’s Day.
They will do an ‘Honor Walk’ of their own inside the jail facility where they are housed. After the inmates complete the Honor Walk, Sheriff Arpaio, followed by a French national network crew profiling the Sheriff and his programs, will join the inmates for a special (and non-vegetarian) all-American lunch of hotdogs and beans. Later that night, they will be treated to a movie and snacks.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says about 75 inmates plan a near two (2) mile walk in laps around their recreational yard as a show of solidarity to all those who have or are serving in the various branches of the U.S. military.
It is the first time inmates will participate in the ‘Honor Walk, ’ a public display of appreciation conducted in cities and towns throughout the United States during the month of November.
“This is a great way for these inmates, all of whom were in the military at one time or another, to feel as though they are part of a nationwide movement to show appreciation for the men and women in uniform,” Arpaio says.
Arpaio, himself a veteran of the Korean War, has instituted a number of distinctive programs in the jails for veterans who found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Arpaio has separated these inmates into their own housing pod, whose walls are covered by paintings done by professionals to depict all the branches of the U.S. military. The Sheriff has ordered the development of inmate programs specifically aimed at their unique behavioral problems such as anger management and PTSD. Inmates in these programs receive special meals on military and other holidays.
“They are in jail, after all, so we are limited in what we can do to show our appreciation of their military service,” Arpaio says. “But we do the best we can to say thank you in our own way.”