The other day I read a newsgroup post that said Mariposa County sheriff was indicted for something or other, and might have to spend time in his own concentration camp-style jail. Apparently, this was wishful thinking, since I couldn?t find any reliable reports to back it up. But by the time I?d gotten to the bottom of that rumor, I?d already wasted too much time reading up on the guy not to write something about him.

Although he hasn?t been arrested for anything ?America?s Toughest Sheriff? has been accused of assault and faced numerous lawsuits involving harassment and wrongful death.

But Arpaio is most famous for his horrendous jail conditions. He made inmates wear pink underwear and black-and-white striped uniforms, work seven hours a day with only two meal breaks, and boasted that he?d slashed meal costs to only 40 cents per prisoner per day. And he replaced jail cells with Korean war surplus tents. Inmates complained of rotten food and unsanitary conditions, but he responded, ?If they don?t like it, they shouldn?t come back.? He boasts of creating the first all-woman chain gang and says he plans to set up the first all-child chain gang.

He also created a cult of personality around himself, selling ?official? souvenir pink boxer shorts with his name on them. You can also buy Joe Arpaio bobble heads.

But maybe the person who said Arpaio had been indicted was thinking of Davidson County, NC sheriff Gerald Hege, who also calls himself the toughest sheriff in America. If toughness is measured in terms of amount of pinkness, Hege wins hands down. No pink undies for him: he made his name with bright pink jail cells and paramilitary uniforms for his staff. But Hege was indicted for embezzlement and obstruction of justice. His pay has been suspended and is facing removal from office. But he still has time to worry about a local parody newspaper.