In conjunction with Sheriff Joe Arpaio's "No Drug Bust Too Small" program, the TOUGH Tents program will resume this weekend.
TOUGH Tents, an acronym for Teen Orientation Underscoring Good Habits, places junior high and high school students in incarceration from 3 p.m. Thursday until noon Friday.
Check out how past teens have dealt with the program in the video above.
The students, ranging from 5th to 12th grade, attend the program alongside at least one teacher and one parent. The Sheriff's detention officers enforce a rigorous jail routine with jail regulations in order to show the students the reality of being incarcerated.
The program includes wearing standard issued inmate clothing, performing inmate labor, eating jail food and sleeping in TOUGH Tents in a separated section of Tent City. Real inmates will share personal stories about how poor decisions with drugs and crime ruined their lives.
Sheriff Arpaio reports that this year's program will emphasize street drug sales, where many young boys get their start. TOUGH Tents will feature a nationally-recognized drug expert to expose the participants to realities of drug addiction.
TOUGH Tents aims to stop criminal behavior in young boys and girls before it starts.
To sign up, visit the Sheriff's website and complete the necessary forms.
