In Maricopa County, Arizona, jail inmates are not treated like dogs. They’re treated worse than dogs, the ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports.
Last week, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he will move abused dogs into the only air-conditioned cells in his system. In addition — and perhaps even more degrading to the humans in the jails — he will spend almost twice as much per day to feed the dogs as he does the inmates. (Incidentally, that is not because dog food is more expensive. “I just want to feed them better,” he said.)
The animals will be cared for by two trustees at all times and be taken into the recreation yard when the weather is nice. Meanwhile, the inmates will pant away in the dead heat of the Arizona summer.
In fairness, none of the dogs in the jail deserve to be locked up in the first place. Most are being held as evidence in animal-abuse cases. “We need a safe, decent place for the animals,” said one official. “Soon, we’ll have a cat condo here, too.”
