Tent City Riots

Over 800 "Tent City" inmates rioted on Nov. 17, injuring three COs and briefly taking over adjoining Estrella Jail in Maricopa County, Ariz.

After surrendering, inmates complained to the media and to Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- the get-tough sheriff who founded Tent City -- of abusive treatment by COs.

But COs said this was not the reason for the riot.

"The riot was not about abuse of inmates," says Bruce Levitch, president of AFSCME Local 3190 (Council 97), which represents Maricopa County detention officers. "It was about an abuse of the public trust by elected officials who think they can continue to underfund and understaff county jails and still manage to uphold public safety."

The county board had refused to fund a new jail in spite of the growing inmate population, Levitch says. Though the county jails now have space for 4,900 inmates, they have been holding up to 6,800 inmates each day. Tent City - where inmates live in army tents - handles much of the overflow.

Rioting began when an inmate went to the port-a-john during a lockdown, disobeying direct commands to return to his tent. After repeated warnings, the officer pepper-sprayed the inmate. At the time, only three officers were on duty.

Though Levitch estimates that no more than 5 percent of inmates took part in the rioting, all Tent City prisoners were handcuffed and temporarily transferred to other facilities. Videotapes from news media and other sources are being used to identify participants, who will then be prosecuted.

The three injured COs were treated at a local hospital and released the same day. Many of the officers -- including eight who were trapped by inmates in a tower in neighboring Estrella Jail -- received treatment for trauma.

As for the overcrowding that landed these inmates in Tent City? The newly elected county board is now proposing to build a 3,000-bed maximum security facility.