I’ve written before about Joe Arpaio, the Sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona. He was the first sheriff in the United States to house inmates in tents when his county council failed to provide money for a needed jail expansion.

When inmates complained about the Arizona heat, Sheriff Joe reminded them of the American soldiers who are living in tents in Afghanistan and Iraq. You can tell by his strong stand on issues that Sheriff Joe is a fearless politician.

Lately, Joe’s jail has been losing handcuffs by the dozen. When prisoners are taken from the jail to court, they are uncuffed for their courtroom appearance. But these jail cuffs seldom find their way back to the jail’s inventory. Apparently, deputies and other cops confiscate the handcuffs for use as spares for their regular duties.

Now the innovative sheriff comes up with a new twist, according to the Associated Press. Sheriff Joe begins ordering jail handcuffs from Great Britain. For an extra 60 cents per pair, the sheriff can have the standard chrome plated cuffs in any color he wants. So Sheriff Joe is ordering pink handcuffs "for jail use only."

Not surprisingly, the pink handcuffs seem to find their way back to the jail’s armory, with few — if any — handcuffs confiscated by brother cops. What self-respecting cop will hang pink handcuffs on his duty belt? None that I know of.

It’s very likely the pink-handcuff idea grew out of the use of blushing pink in Sheriff Joe’s own county jail. In Maricopa County, inmates wear pink undershorts, pink socks, and pink jumpsuits.

This wardrobe requirement has practically eliminated escapes. Can you imagine an inmate running across a field or along a crowded street wearing pink clothing?

Sheriff Joe’s inmate wardrobe selections have been the object of some criticism, but the sheriff simply points to the results — less violence and a whole lot fewer escapes.