text: Pamela Anderson has come in for criticism for her very public show of support for an Arizona sheriff notorious for his controversial opinions and racial profiling of Latinos. Joe Arpaio, who calls himself ‘America’s Toughest Sheriff’, and the former Baywatch star appeared  odd soul-mates as they joined together at the Maricopa County Jail on Wednesday to promote the benefits of an all-vegetarian diet. Arpaio says cutting meat from the meals served to the more than 8,000 inmates has saved an estimated $200,000 per year. The jail has been serving vegetarian meals for 16 months now. Scroll down for video . The odd couple: PETA spokesperson Pamela Anderson joined forced with controversial Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio on Wednesday to promote the benefits of a vegetarian diet for prison inmates . Pamela Anderson was all smiles as she joined Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to serve vegetarian meals to inmates at the Maricopa County Jail, making it the first jail in the country to go entirely vegetarian . Inmates are served a peanut butter sandwich with oranges and some crackers for brunch and a hot meal comprised of different vegetable and soy dishes for dinner. Anderson, a longtime vegan and a spokeswoman for the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said she hopes the meal initiative stands as a model for prisons and jails across the country. Anderson and PETA have came under fire for their association with the polarizing Arpaio, who has long faced criticism that he unfairly targets minorities for law enforcement. He has described himself as an 'equal opportunity guy, I lock up everybody.' PETA’s Senior Vice President Dan Mathews told ThinkProgress that the food he saw and tasted during a tour of the food factory plant last month was healthy. 'I was incredibly impressed to see the fresh produce,' he said. But a Fox News affiliate reporter who visited in 2013 commented that the carrots in the stew were brown and that the soy looked like 'wood chips.' Anderson and PETA have came under fire for their association with the polarizing Arpaio, who has long faced criticism that he unfairly targets minorities for law enforcement . Anderson, dressed in a red and black stripped top, signed autographs for inmates as she toured the prison which includes an outdoor area known as Tent City . Arpaio responded, 'Oh, that’s probably just dirt. Don’t worry about that.' Inmates, who receive just two meals a day, have previously called the food being served as 'slop.' The stunt at Maricopa County Jail on Wednesday as described as 'a new low for PETA' by ThinkProgress. Anderson, dressed in a red and black stripped top, signed autographs for inmates as she toured the prison which includes an outdoor area known as Tent City. An outdoor jail with electric fencing, Tent City can hold more than two thousand immigrant detainees. Because the heat can rise to 137 degrees during the summer months, the tent structure serves primarily as brutal physical punishment. 'We're saving a lot of lives and I think it's very helpful and encouraging to get people to eat compassionately and make non-violent choices,' said Anderson. Anderson, a longtime vegan and a spokeswoman for the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said she hopes the meal initiative stands as a model for prisons and jails across the country . A press conference at Tent City came to an abrupt end when reporters asked the sheriff to compare the $200,000 meat-free savings to the $14 million the agency is spending to comply with a court order that found sheriff's deputies discriminated against Latino residents. 'It's comparing apples to oranges,' Arpaio said. 'We won't be getting into that today, thanks very much.' An appeals court on Wednesday upheld key findings in the 2013 ruling that deputies under Sheriff Arpaio systemically committed racial profiling of Latinos. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the previous ruling by District Judge Murray Snow that unconstitutional practices targeting immigrants had extended traffic stops in the Phoenix area. The decision by Snow marked the first time that the sheriff's office known for immigration enforcement had been found to have racially profiled people. The judge is requiring Arpaio's officers to video-record traffic stops, collect data on stops and undergo training to ensure they aren't acting unconstitutionally. A press conference came to an abrupt end when reporters asked Sheriff Arpaio, right, to compare the $200,000 meat-free savings to the $14 million the agency is spending to comply with a court order that found sheriff's deputies discriminated against Latino residents .
target: PETA spokesperson Pamela Anderson joined forces with Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio  to promote the benefits of a vegetarian diet for prisoners .
  Arpaio says cutting meat from the meals served to the more than 8,000 inmates has saved an estimated $200,000 per year .
  Reporters on a previous visit to the prison discovered the carrots in the stew were brown and that the soy looked like 'wood chips'
  The PR stunt at Maricopa County Jail on Wednesday has been described as 'a new low for PETA'
  Arpaio is better known for his controversial opinions and racial profiling of Latinos, than his dedication to a vegetarian diet .