By Fernanda Santos | The New York Times
Tent City, the outdoor jail that stood as the last remaining symbol of Joe Arpaio’s long, turbulent tenure as sheriff of Maricopa County, will close in the coming weeks, Mr. Arpaio’s successor, Sheriff Paul Penzone, said on Tuesday.
“Starting today, the circus ends, and the tents come down,” Sheriff Penzone said.
The jail, where inmates wore striped jumpsuits and pink underwear and slept in 70 surplus Korean War tents, became an effective and telegenic publicity tool for Mr. Arpaio. His unforgiving tough-on-crime stance and his pursuit of illegal immigrants propelled him to re-election five times, but also thrust him into lawsuits and controversy.