Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Inmates Use Pedal Power for TV
Under his latest tough jail policy by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, inmates must use pedal power in order to watch television.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio calls his new program "Pedal Vision," in which inmates must pedal stationary bikes to generate electricity for television sets, the Associated Press reports.
Only those inmates who use their pedal power will be allowed to watch television, Arpaio said.
The bikes are designed to turn on and connect to TV sets at Phoenix's Tent City Jail. An hour of pedaling generates 12 volts of electricity and equals an hour of television.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio is widely known for tough jail policies, such as serving inmates green bologna sandwiches and making them listen to his holiday hits playlist, as previously discussed.
For two decades, Sheriff Joe Arpaio basked in publicity over his colorful tactics, including dressing jail inmates in pink underwear and housing them in outdoor tents during the brutal Phoenix summers.
Arpaio is America's self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" and also faces intense scrutiny from the federal government.
As previously discussed, the Department of Justice has impaneled a federal grand jury to investigate allegations of abuse of power. The feds have come down on Arpaio for using county's resources to go after illegal immigrants who fall under federal immigration laws, rather than state laws.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Pedal Vision gives inmates a reason to get moving and a way to burn calories.
The program was originally designed to give female inmates more exercise options. Before Pedal Vision Arpaio said female inmates only got exercise by speed-walking around the tent yard.
- Feds Look into Sheriff Joe Arpaio Abuse of Power Allegations (FindLaw)
- What Do You Know, Joe? Sheriff Joe Arpaio Deposed (FindLaw's Common Law)
- Sheriff Joe Arpaio (Time)