It's what keeps him tough in everyone's mind. See, every other sheriff in America houses their inmates in an actual building, but not The Toughest Sheriff in America. He chooses to keep them in tents which can get up to 125 degrees in the summer.
Meanwhile, he brags about keeping his pound animals in an air conditioned building, and he spends more to feed dogs than he does the human beings he's supposedly responsible for.
I'm sorry, but to me it's inhumane, immoral, and totally unnecessary to treat people that way. Especially since approximately 70% of the "inmates" in Tent City haven't even been to trial yet. Isn't the punishment supposed to come after guilt has been established?
Most of the inmates are in custody for misdeameanors, which is why they haven't gone to trial yet - they're not exactly murderers or rapists, so there's no hurry. In fact, they're downright useful to the Joke - they help him keep his reputation as "TTSIA," since Tent City is his claim to fame.
I asked for her opinion about Arpaio and she gave me an ear full. She pretty much agrees with your assessment of him, so I asked her why he gets reelected, she says he's the darling of conservatives because he appears to be tough on crime but in reality he is tough on those awaiting trial and haven't been convicted of anything yet.
She also thinks that not only Arapio has cost the tax payers a lot of money needlessly through law suits against the county and himself but will eventually end up in one of his own tents.
Anybody want to call me a liberal for not buying into this guys hype, have at it.