Sheriff Joe Arpaio Forces Inmates To Listen To Christmas Music All Day, Ignoring Lawsuits

[DearAbby]

It seems as though America's self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" can't live without hearing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in his jails this holiday season.

Sheriff Joe, despite being sued six times in the past two years for doing so, will again force inmates in the county jails to listen to Christmas carols throughout the holiday season.

In a press release from the sheriff today, which is written in a smug red and green type, Arpaio downplays the six lawsuits and says the roughly 8,000 inmates in the county jail system will get Christmas music all day long this holiday season whether they like it or not.

The six prior lawsuits have claimed Arpaio's less-than-merry practice should be considered cruel and unusual punishment, or that the sheriff is forcing people to participate in religious celebrations.

The practice of forcing people to listen to crappy music all day long has been used in the past for interrogation purposes. For example, the U.S. military blared Metallica music at detainees in Guantanamo Bay with the intention of breaking them down psychologically.

If the GITMO detainees were breaking down over a little Metallica music, there's no way that forcing someone to listen to Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree isn't cruel and unusual. Tags: arizona, christmas carols, jails, joe arpaio, lawsuit, maricopa county, maricopa county sheriff's office

More at Link
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2009/12/arpaio_unfazed_by_prior_lawsui.php

[MNDemNY]

1. That shit-head needs to spend some time in his own shit hole.

[izquierdista]

12. Or lacking that

Maybe we can send him to a North Korean prison.

[marmar]

2. The hubris of this m*therf**ker is unbelievable......

What an asshole!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Waiting for the usual suspects.

Come on, fuckers, show yourselves. You know who you are.

[virgogal]

4. Actually it's no worse than most folks in retail have to listen to all day.

With all that's going on in the world I can't get too worked up over this.

[rcrush]

6. Seriously

Right now there is a store clerk ready to blow his or her own brains out if they have to hear Manheim Steamroller one more time.

[Tansy_Gold]

7. Having worked retail and been subjected to holiday Muzak in offices

I can tell you it is MUCH worse to be subjected to it night and day, than just for a few hours during the day.

I knew I was going to be able to go home at the end of the day and get away from that shit. I also knew that if I really hated it all that much, I could quit my job.

I wasn't stuck in a jail cell -- or a tent -- with no respite.

Oh, yes, and having done research in the Maricopa County Jail, I can tell you that at least some of the inmates are innocent -- they are too poor to post bond and haven't come to trial yet -- and some of them are guilty of little more than being poor.

And it's true -- they didn't have to do the crime and therefore they have to do the time, but if you believe that includes all the dehumanizing bullshit Joe Arpaio loads on top it, then maybe you belong in a more punitive forum.



TG2012

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Violation of Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

[KansDem]

8. Whether it's used to entice consumerism or forced confessions...

MUZAK has been the bane of modern society.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. That's fucking torture.

This has nothing to do with protecting the citizens of Maricopa County; he's just doing this out of gleeful sadism.

[Kingofalldems]

10. Freepers love him

[Stevenmarc]

11. It's only cruel and unusual if they play the Bob Dylan Christmas Album

[Nye Bevan]

13. They should be forced to listen to "I've never been to me" by Charlene all day long

No religious problems, but might constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

[kayakjohnny]

14. He seems to be forgetting that some of these people will be back on the street one day.

And will remember what's been done to them, in addition to this episode. All it takes is one.