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Wickenburg "Jail Tree."
From 1863 until 1890, Wickenburg didn't have a jail. Instead, they chained individuals to a tree the called, "The Jail Tree." This tree is now a tourist attraction. -
Yuma Prison accepts its first inmate
For the next 33 years, 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women, served sentences there for crimes ranging from murder to polygamy. In 1909, the last prisoner left the Territorial Prison. The prison's nickname was, "The Hell Hole of the West." -
Tombstone Courthouse Constructed
Tombstone Courthouse was constructed in 1882. It served as the jail for the city. The courthouse even served as an execution site. Seven men were hanged in front of the courthouse for various crimes. -
Yuma Prison closes
All of the inmates were transferred to Florence. -
Arizona becomes a state
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Eva Dugan
Eva Dugan was the only woman to ever be executed in Arizona. She was decapitated during her hanging. This later influenced the state to replace hanging with the gas chamber in 1933. -
Arizona Department of Corrections
June 20, 1968, the Arizona Department of Corrections became a state agency. -
Nixon launches War on Drugs
In June 1971, President Nixon declared a “war on drugs.” He dramatically increased the size and presence of federal drug control agencies, and pushed through measures such as mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants. Since then, incarceration rates have dramatically risen. -
Fort Grant Prison
Fort Grant becomes an adult male prison. In December, of1997, Arizona State Prison at Fort Grant was renamed the Fort Grant Unit of the A.Z. Prison Complex Safford. -
Tucson Prison Riot
More than 100 prisoners set fire and smashed windows in a four - hour riot. Touched off by an inmate's refusal to give up an orange he had in his cell. It was a second major outbreak in the state prison. Damage estimated at $200,000. -
Lethal Injection
Arizona law authorizes lethal injection for inmates sentenced to death. -
Sheriff Joe Arpaio is first elected
1993: Sheriff Joe Arpaio was elected for the first time as the Sheriff of Maricopa County. Since then he has been re-elected 5 times. -
Tent City first opens
1993: Arpaio set up tent city as an extension of the county jail, and he described it as a “concentration camp” because of the harsh conditions for the inmates. -
Arizona's first Private Prison Opens
The Marana Community Correctional Treatment Facility is a minimum-custody private prison in Marana. Under contract with the Arizona Department of Corrections, the prison provides custody and substance abuse treatment to 500 adult male prisoners. -
Sheriff Joe reintroduces the chain gang
1995: Joe Arpaio reintroduced the concept of the chain gang, and since then it was extended to female inmates and juvenile inmates as well. -
Fort Grant Prison Riot
Racial conflict sparked prison riot at the AZ state prison complex Stafford "Fort Grant Unit." 3000 - sq foot yard office was destroyed by fire. The office was torched but inmates and staff members managed to escape the blaze without serious injury. -
15 Day Standoff in Buckeye
At Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis, in Buckeye, there was the longest standoff between inmates and law enforcement officers in US history, A botched escape ended with inmates taking two guards hostage. The four spent fifteen days in a watchtower while negotiators worked to convince the prisoners to release their hostages. The situation ended peacefully due to the efforts of law enforcement. -
Racial profiling charges filed against Sheriff Joe
2007 to the present: Sheriff Joe is facing federal class action suits for racial profiling. -
Federal Court rules against Maricopa County jails for the 1st time
2008 and 2010: Federal court ruled that Maricopa County jails violated constitutional rights of inmates in many issues. -
Federal Court rules against Maricopa County Jails for the 2nd time
2008 and 2010: Federal court ruled that Maricopa County jails violated constitutional rights of inmates in many issues. -
Kingman Riot
A riot at Kingman Prison took place on July 01, 2015 in a minimum security unit when private correctional officers tried to stop an inmate - on - inmate assault.
A full blown riot broke out the next day in the medium security unit after an inmate became aggressive with a private correctional officer. Nine correctional officers received minor injuries in the first two days of unrest. On Saturday more damage occurred when medium security inmates refused to follow orders and then went on a rampage -
Arizona is sixth for the highest incarceration rate
Over 50% of prisoners are incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses.
