Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone has ordered Tent City closed, the decision coming following a comprehensive analysis by MCSO Staff and Sheriff Penzone’s Executive Advisory Review .
In making the announcement Tuesday, Sheriff Penzone said, “The image of the Tents as a deterrent to recidivism, and as a symbol of being tough on crime may have been true in the past. Today it is only a myth. Tent City is no longer an effective, efficient facility. It has been effective only as a distraction. The circus is over; the Tents are coming down. We are going to give the criminals what they don’t want and the taxpayers what they do.”
Sheriff Penzone made the choice to close the facility after interviews with MCSO detention leadership, a review by a nationally recognized jail expert, feedback from inmates, and multiple site tours.
“This decision is my responsibility and my choice. I made the call,” said the Sheriff. “Before doing so, I promised an intense review of the data and to listen to a variety of diverse opinions. It took time to complete that process.”
Opened in 1993, Tent City was designed to house up to 2100 inmates. Tent City was built as jail populations spiked in Maricopa County and around the nation due to harsh sentencing guidelines. At its peak, the population was approximately 1700. Since 2006, that number has been in a steady and continuing decline to the present average of 700 to 800 detainees. Despite the significant drop in population, the cost of operations remained the same, averaging $8.7 million annually. The Tents house low-level offenders who were sentenced to serve up to one year in jail.
Surveys of Tent City inmates conducted by MCSO showed a preference for Tents over hardened jail cells, primarily because it offered freedom of movement in the open air. The major inmate complaints were in protest of required vegetarian meals.
SPEAR was given the Tent City assignment in early January. Following only four meetings and on-site tours, it recommended closure.
The process of decommissioning the facility will begin immediately and is expected to be completed within six (6) months. Inmates will be reassigned to Estrella and Durango jails. Work furlough and work release inmates numbering about 200 will continue to be housed in one section of Tent City until a new method of managing them can be finalized. The physical tent structures will be placed in storage, donated, or sent to a landfill, depending on their condition and how they were acquired.