Sheriff: Orange is the new black — and white — at county jails

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office will ditch the black-and-white-striped uniforms issued to inmates in favor of orange, a move officials say will save taxpayers thousands of dollars annually.

The switch from stripes to solid orange started this week and will be completed by Friday, according to an MCSO news release.

"Our staff has done an excellent job examining our entire operation to find cost savings and workplace efficiencies that will stretch our dollars without compromising safety," Sheriff Paul Penzone said in a prepared statement. "Changing the inmate uniform is one more way we can deliver top service at reduced expense."

Penzone said the orange uniforms will save 12 percent, or at least $22,000, each year.

The news release said adult pretrial inmates will have "MCSO Unsentenced" printed on the front and back of the uniform.

Sentenced inmates will have "MCSO" only on the front and back of the uniform. Juvenile inmates will have yellow sleeves and "MCSO" stenciled on the front and back of the uniform. All stencils are in black ink.

MCSO switched to striped uniforms in April 1997 after using a uniform color code based on an inmate's classification or status, officials said.

This multicolor system made purchasing and laundering processes complicated, according to the news release.

The stripes also were more costly than just orange, officials said.

"Stripes were expensive and I asked our custody leadership to look into a way to cut costs," Penzone said. "The orange uniforms are much more cost-effective, especially in the variety of sizes we need."

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