Zero privileges, 43 C heat and the constant threat of violence. Enter a world where 2,000 criminals live like cattle, herded together in military barracks in “Tent City,” Arizona, when the Investigation Discovery special CHAIN GANG: MARICOPA COUNTY, premieres Wednesday, October 13 at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT. Bound in shackles to hated rivals, these last-chance inmates fight for their survival. For these convicted criminals, there’s no escape. Welcome to life in America’s one and only chain gang.
The chain gang is a penal experiment masterminded by a maverick who calls himself the “The Toughest Sheriff in America,” Joe Arpaio. His idea? Give inmates a chance to find life-changing discipline through backbreaking manual labour. Their distinctive attire (stripe jumpsuits) serves the purpose of displaying their punishment to the public, making them identifiable if they attempt to escape and causing shame and humiliation for their actions.
After more than 200 years of experimentation, prison officials are still uncertain as to the best way to punish criminals. And though this system existed primarily in the southern parts of the United States, it was mostly phased out nationwide by 1955. Inmates at Maricopa County Jail however can still volunteer for a chain gang to earn credit toward a high school diploma or avoid disciplinary lockdowns for rule infractions. Despite the controversy, Sherriff Arpaio shows no sign of backing down.
