In 1996, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio instituted the first female chain gang in the modern United States, expanding on his controversial “tough on crime” policies in Arizona. The program involved female inmates, often serving time for minor offenses like drug possession or shoplifting, who “volunteered” for the duty to escape the harsh confinement of lockdown cells. These women were dressed in traditional black-and-white striped uniforms and shackled together at the ankles in groups, a vis