Tent City Of Maricopa County Jail, Arizona, United States

Maricopa County Jail in Arizona is the 4th largest jail system in the world. In 1993 it exceeded the maximum number of inmates allowed in its facilities. It was estimated that construction of a new facility would cost approximately $70,000,000. Sheriff Arpaio ordered that a Tent Jail be constructed utilizing inmate labor. It consisted of Korean War era tents donated by the United States armed forces, and a 50 ft (15.4 m) observation tower with a vacancy sign mounted on the front. The final cost of the project was approximately $100,000 and it is capable of housing over 2400 Inmates. All inmates housed outside in the open tents (N yard for males and O yard for females) are "volunteers" in the "Working Inmate Program" and must agree to work an assigned job and comply with the Sheriff's grooming standards. Inmates who decline to work or refuse to groom themselves are relocated inside a hardened facility along with the rest of the jail population. All inmates wear pink socks and underwear.
Maricopa County is located in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of July 2008, its population was 3,954,598, which ranks fourth among the nation's counties and is greater than the population of 24 states. The county seat is Phoenix, which is Arizona's largest city and capital. The center of population of Arizona is located in Maricopa County, in the town of Gilbert. It is by far Arizona's most populous county, encompassing well more than half of the state's residents.