TV: Man of the cloth

IF you haven't been able to ask for what you want, or say how you feel, Saturn is about to change all that this summer. You'll want clear-cut answers as well as being whisked off your feet in late June. On to July and the full moon on the 13th indicates you will be somewhere far away. Even though you prefer familiar places, you'll find your love life benefits from a different setting. Go for the romantic and exotic and suddenly someone will be in the palm of your hand. Early August is a scorcher and you will be left wondering how you will combine work and pleasure. But Jupiter's arrival in Virgo on the 27th means love comes through, marking the start of a year-long cycle of personal happiness. 2

SHERIFF Joe Arpaio considers himself "the toughest sheriff in the universe" and his claims to that lofty title are examined tonight in the latest 'Frame 2'.

Joe Arpaio was elected sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona in 1992 and since then he has gained a law enforcement.

This appears to involve the ritual humiliation of the County's prisoners and a total redefinition of the phrase "zero tolerance".

Arpaio's philosophy on the treatment of prisoners is based on his belief that "prisons should not be country clubs".

The prisoners of Maricopa County could never mistake their less than luxurious surroundings for a country club. Over 1,200 of them live in a large village of tents (provided, bizarrely, by the South Korean government).

The menu is nothing like that of the average country club either - Arpaio boasts that the Sheriff's Office dogs eat better than the county's prisoners.

The average prison meal costs 45 cents and consists chiefly of out of date, surplus, luncheon meat. The prisoners of Maricopa County, long to return to the days of bread and water.

The harsh conditions of the average Maricopa County inmate, do not end with dodgy food and tented villages. Inmates are forced to wear pink underwear, ostensibly because it is cheap, but one can't help the feeling that the good Sheriff simply enjoys a joke at the prisoner's expense.

Sheriff Arpaio has also reintroduced chain gangs to his county, including America's first all-female chain gang. The gangs are forced to complete a range of activities in the community, from painting the pavement to digging graves.

Surprisingly, there is a waiting list to get on one of the Sheriff's chain gangs but this is less surprising when you consider that the alter-native is 23 hour "lock-down".

Arpaio's controversial methods have attracted the attention of human rights campaigners, including Amnesty International.

A number of Arpaio's officers were implicated in the death of Jaron Norburg who was killed while being "restrained" by Maricopa County officers.

The Sheriff's Office was forced to pay out $8million in damages but all the officers kept their jobs.

Arpaio believes in treating his officers well, they are among the best paid in the United States.

Arpaio is not just unapologetic about his methods, he is proud of them and employs a three-person Press office to tell the world all about his "achievements" in the county.

The Sheriff's fondness for media attention has led to accusations from some quarters that his contro-versial policies have more to do with self-promotion than crime prevention and he is expected to run for Governor of Arizona.

Politically, Arpaio has been an unqualified success. He has been elected to his current post three times and in the 2000 election he won by a landslide. But, not everyone is happy with the Sheriff.

He's made so many enemies that a website now exists, solely dedicated to "the men and women who have been victimised by America's toughest sheriff".

Arpaio says his methods work and claims that his in-prison high- school, dubbed "Hard Knocks High" has reduced re-offending.

No independent evidence exists for this and a study funded and then rejected by the Sheriff's Office, found the County's re- offending rates had remained largely unchanged during Arpaio's time in office.

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