Story highlights Maricopa County Sheriff announces closure of controversial Tent City

Arpaio called himself "America's toughest sheriff"

(CNN) Tent City, the infamous outdoor jail in Arizona where inmates wore pink underwear and shuffled around in chain gangs, will close, officials announced Tuesday.

Joe Arpaio, the former top cop in Phoenix's Maricopa County, established the jail in 1993. But he was voted out of office last year. Soon, Tent City will also be gone.

Erected in a remote area in Arizona, Tent City became a symbol of Arpaio's 24-year tenure as sheriff and magnet for controversy. Critics said the facility was demeaning for inmates, who stayed in scorching heat over 100 degrees, ate calorie-controlled meals and were given pink accessories including their underwear.

Arpaio promoted the desert camp, burnishing his reputation and touting himself as "America's toughest sheriff."

But his successor, who defeated Arapaio in November's election , said there was no evidence that Tent City deterred crime.