Arizona sheriff introduces all female chain gang [View All]

[cali]

By Nick Allen, Arizona 9:00PM GMT 02 Jan 2011

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who oversees the police force in Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes the city of Phoenix, has re-introduced chain gangs for women prisoners after an earlier experiment with men.

The female chain gang performs tasks including burying the dead in paupers’ graves and clearing wasteland in scorching heat over 100F (38C).

At night the women are not allowed to sleep inside, bedding down instead under surplus Second World War Army tents on tarmac outside Estrella Jail, where temperatures fall below freezing in winter.

Bianca Jazo, 29, a former bank teller with a five year-old son, was arrested after police found drug paraphernalia in her car.

Wielding a shovel on a sun baked patch of land outside Phoenix, she said: “Some people won’t leave their dogs out in this heat but they leave us out in it.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8236125/Arizona-sheriff-introduces-all-female-chain-gang.html