Sheriff Orders Jail System Lockdown

PHOENIX - Sheriff Joe Arpaio has ordered the lockdown of all county jails upon reports of inmates planning racially-motivated assaults.

Sheriff's intelligence officials apparently received information that inmates were plotting large-scale fights.

"I am sending a message to these inmates that I run the jail system, not the inmates. I will not condone inmates targeting each other because of their race," Arpaio said in a press release Monday.

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Under the lockdown, visitation, phone calls, and all non-essential movement has been canceled until further notice. Inmates will eat sack lunches and only leave their cells for court appearances.

SWAT units are also in position in case a fight does break out. 

Intelligence officers say the racial tension arose from the dislike of inmates bunking with members of another race.

The racial breakdown of the Maricopa County jail system indicates that of the total population, 44 percent are Hispanic, 37 percent are white, and 14 percent are black. Over half of the Hispanic inmates are illegal aliens.

Arpaio said, "This is a proactive move on our part to ensure the safety of all inmates."

The lockdown will be lifted when the Sheriff deems the racial discord has diminished. Maricopa County Jails house around 10,000 inmates.

Last week in Tucson, at least 20 inmates were injured during a fight between Mexican-American and Mexican national inmates.