Arizona’s infamous Tent City Jail is shutting down. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors announced this week that the controversial outdoor facility started by former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will pull up stakes in late 2017 after 22 years of operation. Tent City has been the subject of numerous protests and accusations of human rights violations related to prisoner treatment over the decades. The announcement of its closure is prompting much reaction and closer examination of the approach to punishment and law enforc
ement in Maricopa County after Arpaio.
Arizona State University’s LaDawn Haglund is an associate professor in ASU’s School of Social Transformation and the founder of ASU’s 2017 Human Rights Film Festival, taking place Friday, April 7th through Sunday, April 9th.
