Take Action: Stop Prisoner Rape

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-03-19 13:31:00 UTC
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The Supreme Court has stated, "Sexual abuse is 'not part of the penalty that criminal offenders pay for their offenses against society." Yet high rates of sexual assault and rape in prisons, perpetrated by bother other inmates and guards, makes it a de facto part of their sentence.

Congress unanimously passed the Rape Elimination Act of 2003, creating a Commission to study and find ways to prevent sexual assault of America's over 7 million incarcerated persons. According to their report, at some facilities, the rate of sexual assault is as high as 15% of the prisoner population; nearly 5% of inmates report sexual abuse within merely the last year. Nearly one in five youth in juvenile facilities report sexual abuse over the past year. Yet wide fluctuation in rates of abuse from prison to prison demonstrate that a better system is possible: good leadership, rigorous monitoring, safe and active reporting procedures, and clear standards with zero tolerance for sexual assault have a significant impact.

Immigrant detainees have also proven particularly vulnerable to sexual assault, in particular from abusive officers, who wield undue power in both overseeing their imprisonment and controlling the power to deport them. According to the report, "officers have propositioned women whose cases they control, telling them that if they want to be released they need to comply with their sexual demands. The fear of deportation cannot be overstated and also functions to silence many individuals who are sexually abused."

For those who are abused, corrections facilities must offer treatment, both physical and mental, for victims. Former prisoner Necole Brown still deals with the trauma: “I continue to contend with flashbacks of what this correctional officer did to me and the guilt, shame, and rage that comes with having been sexually violated for so many years."

While the Commission's recommendations would have a major impact on decreasing prisoner rape, some prison officials are fighting against their implementation. The standards are currently open for public comment: please click here to tell the Attorney General to stop the rape of prisoners now.

Photo credit: Ken_Mayer

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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