Maricopa County's Tent City jail officially shut down

A jail that for more than two decades drew international attention for its gimmicks and the camera-ready sheriff had no such fanfare in its twilight hours.

Tent City, Maricopa County’s infamous outdoor jail, quietly closed for business this weekend. Its remaining inmates were taken from the 7-acre compound in southwest Phoenix late Saturday night and checked into the county's Durango Jail a few blocks away.

Tent City was the brainchild of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who opened it in 1993 to combat overcrowding in brick-and-mortar facilities.

The tents have drawn controversy since their inception. Critics alleged cruel conditions, especially during Phoenix’s scorching summers; supporters cheered incarceration there as fitting punishment for the county’s lawbreakers.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2017/10/09/maricopa-countys-tent-city-jail-officially-shut-down/748348001/