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Maricopa County-Tent City Jail – CLOSED basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number:
This facility is for adult inmates.
The Maricopa County-Tent City Jail – CLOSED is a medium-security detention center located at 2939 Durango St Phoenix, AZ which is operated locally by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and holds inmates awaiting trial or sentencing or both. Most of the sentenced inmates are here for less than two years. Maricopa County accepts inmates from surrounding towns, municipalities, the US Marshal's Service and the Phoenix Police Department who do not have their own long-term lock-up.
CLOSED
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.
Inmates sweltered in their pink underwear. Republican politicians, including four presidential candidates, would tour the facilities, gunning for Arpaio’s endorsement. The tents remained standing even after jail populations dwindled in recent years, and Arpaio often pointed to them to burnish his “tough-on-crime” image.
In a news release last year, Arpaio said he hoped Tent City would reach its 25th anniversary. It was 10 months shy.
For Sheriff Paul Penzone, who ousted Arpaio in last November’s election, closing Tent City was one of the first orders of business. Penzone announced the facility’s closing in April, calling the tents a “circus” rather than a crime deterrent.
The Tents Jail was begun in 1993 when Sheriff Joe Arpaio was able to obtain some surplus military tents. These tents were set up in an area adjacent to one of the existing Maricopa County Jails in Phoenix, Arizona. Sheriff Arpaio had previously decided that he would not release any inmates due to jail overcrowding, and housing sentenced inmates in the tents seemed a good solution. Funding for the project was minimal, and included the cost for cement necessary for base pads, secure fencing, and electric costs for heating, cooling and lights.
The Tents Jail could hold up to 2,126 inmates.
PREVIOUS CONTENT RELATED TO THE TENT CITY JAIL
Sheriff Arpaio has added a few improvements at the Tents Jail, including four Sky Watch Towers for security, stun fences around the perimeter, and facial recognition computer software for inmate identification. K-9 units and patrol deputies have been added for additional security. The Classification Unit conducts background checks on inmates before they are housed in the tents, so that dangerous or predatory individuals are not placed there.
Scheduling tours: Group tours of the internationally famous Tents Jail can be scheduled in advance by calling: (602) 876-5551. Adults only (ages 18 and over. Please provide full names and dates of birth when calling to schedule the tour)
- Tours will be conducted by Tents jail staff
- Group size: up to 5 adults, no tour buses
- Time and date availability to be determined by Tents Jail Administration
- Dress standards apply. (Business casual is appropriate.)
- Other guidelines/requirements may be established by Tents Jail Administration.
- Groups wishing to purchase Sheriffs’ related items at Enforcement Support please contact (602) 876-1000 ask for a transfer to Enforcement Support to get prior approval.
Please see the "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) pages for more information about visitation hours/rules, regulation and rules about inmate mail, and other questions related to the Tents Jail.
visitation Info
PRISON_NAME – Visitation at PRISON_ADDRESS, PRISON_CITY, PRISON_STATE_ABBR
- Monday 9am – 6pm
- Tuesday 9am – 6pm
- Wednesday 9am – 6pm
- Thursday 9am – 6pm
- Friday 9am – 6pm
All visits are non-contact and conducted through a glass partition. This facility may also have a video visitation option, please call PRISON_PHONE for more information and updates to the current rules and regulations.
Inmates are allowed 2 visitors per day
