It seems as though America's self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" can't live without hearing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in his jails this holiday season.
Sheriff Joe, despite being sued six times in the past two years for doing so, will again force inmates in the county jails to listen to Christmas carols throughout the holiday season.
In a press release from the sheriff today, which is written in a smug red and green type, Arpaio downplays the six lawsuits and says the roughly 8,000 inmates in the county jail system will get Christmas music all day long this holiday season whether they like it or not.
The six prior lawsuits have claimed Arpaio's less-than-merry practice should be considered cruel and unusual punishment, or that the sheriff is forcing people to participate in religious celebrations.
The practice of forcing people to listen to crappy music all day long has been used in the past for interrogation purposes. For example, the U.S. military blared Metallica music at detainees in Guantanamo Bay with the intention of breaking them down psychologically.
If the GITMO detainees were breaking down over a little Metallica music, there's no way that forcing someone to listen to Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree isn't cruel and unusual.
