On Arizona presidential preference Election Day, Tuesday, March 22nd, Sheriff Joe Arpaio is permitting inmates to watch the election results on television monitors at a number of the jails, including Tent City Jail. Inmates normally only have access to CSPAN, the Weather Channel, and the Food Network on jail facility television monitors. Sheriff Arpaio removed all other channels soon after becoming Sheriff in 1993.
In past years, four presidential candidates have met with Sheriff Arpaio in the tents – Kansas Senator Bob Dole, California Governor Pete Wilson, Texas Senator Phil Graham and Arizona Senator John McCain. In recent days, Tent City Jail was visited by Jane Sanders, the wife of current Democrat presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Mrs. Sanders was personally greeted and escorted on her tour by Sheriff Arpaio.
“Giving the inmates a chance to be educated on the Constitution and the American election system is my motivation for allowing this,” said Sheriff Arpaio. “When you live in a Representative Republic, like we do in this country, a more educated population is best.”
“If the inmates learn anything, I hope it is that our right to vote is something to be valued,” concluded Arpaio.
Several years ago, Sheriff Arpaio ordered that an American Flag sticker be placed in every jail cell and that each morning for the inmates would begin their day with the playing of the National Anthem.