What do you think about prison rape?

[Infohawk]

I think prison rape is horrible. There are drug offenders and other people who simply do not deserve to be raped by any stretch of justice. It's especially problematic if you think about political prisoners (see example below) or wrongly convicted people.

I don't consider myself soft on crime. I like three strikes and harsh penalties for violent crimes. But the prison system seems to be designed to make things worse. Maybe it's just the movies but I don't think it can be that hard to prevent violence in prisons. At the very least, it should be possible to completely separate prisoners. Feed them in their cells. Make it optional to get exercise in common areas. It has to be possible for people to take a shower and not get raped.

Kudos to Bush and Congress for passing the bill discussed below.

Press Release

Prison Rape Elimination Act Becomes Federal Law

September 4, 2003

SPR Hails Historic Move Toward Safer, More Humane Detention

WASHINGTON D.C. ? President George W. Bush signed into law the Prison
Rape Elimination Act of 2003 today, marking the first time the U.S.
government has ever passed a law to deal with sexual assault behind
bars.

?The passage of this law is a major milestone, finally bringing prisoner
rape out of the shadows,? said Lara Stemple, executive director of Stop
Prisoner Rape (SPR), a national human rights organization that has
worked on the issue for more than two decades.

The law calls for the gathering of national statistics about the
problem; the development of guidelines for states about how to address
prisoner rape; the creation of a review panel to hold annual hearings;
and the provision of grants to states to combat the problem.

?We hope this bill will be the beginning of real reform,? Stemple said.
?And, progress will also require improved mental health services for
survivors, lawsuits aimed at reform, and greater sympathy on the part of
the public.?

The president signed the bill this morning at an Oval Office ceremony
attended by two survivors of prisoner rape, Tom Cahill and Hope
Hernandez. Cahill serves as president of the Board of Directors SPR, and
Hope Hernandez is a member of the group?s Board of Advisors.

?We know we?ve come a long way when survivors of prisoner rape are
invited to the White House with dignity rather than marginalized and
ignored,? Stemple said.

In 1968, Cahill was beaten and gang-raped in San Antonio, Texas after
being arrested for civil disobedience. Hernandez, also a nonviolent
offender, was repeatedly raped by a corrections officer in 1997 in a
privately run facility adjacent to the Washington D.C. jail.

One in five men in prison has been sexually abused, often by other
inmates. Rates for women, who are most likely to be abused by male
staff, reach as high as one in four in some facilities.

 

[Rainsford]

I think there are good reasons to try to improve prisons, including trying to eliminate sexual violence. Yes, prison isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be a deterrent, but the ideal system also releases prisoners back into society where they can contribute. A prison that makes criminals worse, like I believe our prisons do in some cases, only works as long as the criminals never leave.

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
I think there are good reasons to try to improve prisons, including trying to eliminate sexual violence. Yes, prison isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be a deterrent, but the ideal system also releases prisoners back into society where they can contribute. A prison that makes criminals worse, like I believe our prisons do in some cases, only works as long as the criminals never leave.

You are right about the deterrent. Personally, the extreme violence deters me. And I think it deters a lot of other people too. However, the benefits don't outweight the injustice.

 

[DealMonkey]

I agree, prison rape amounts to unfair and unjustified punishment and can often result in AIDS or other STDs. By permitting prison rape (or even looking the other way), you've inflicted a lifetime of punishment in the form of a potentially life-threatening disease for a prisoner who may be in jail for something completely non-violent. Remember, some states lock your ass up for 5+ years for mere posession of marijuana. I'm talking one joint.

 

[Infohawk]

Looks like there's a poster who thinks it's okay. I can only imagine they think that only dirty hippies would be in there and get raped. Not only is dealmonkey right about possession, but there are situations where someone's nice blonde daughter could give some handicapped person a right from school. They could get pulled over, and there would be possession by the nice blonde daughter if the handicap person stuffed it in the glove box. Possession has nothing to do with intent so even if this girl didn't wnat the marijuana in her car and had a DARE T-Shirt, she would be screwed, literally.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Infohawk

Originally posted by: Rainsford
I think there are good reasons to try to improve prisons, including trying to eliminate sexual violence. Yes, prison isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be a deterrent, but the ideal system also releases prisoners back into society where they can contribute. A prison that makes criminals worse, like I believe our prisons do in some cases, only works as long as the criminals never leave.

You are right about the deterrent. Personally, the extreme violence deters me. And I think it deters a lot of other people too. However, the benefits don't outweight the injustice.

Well yes, and it obviously doesn't work on plenty of people. The only real thing we can do for those people is try to rehabilitate them before they get out of prison. Extreme violence in prison isn't going to do that very well.

 

[bjc112]

Remember, some states lock your ass up for 5+ years for mere posession of marijuana. I'm talking one joint.

I have never heard of anyone going to prison for 5years for a joint.. Less than <1gram

You might not even get a felony arrest for <1g of cocaine which is considered way worse in terms of penalites..

 

[StormRider]

I've always thought prison rape was horrible and never enjoyed the humor it seems to bring out in a lot of guys.

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: StormRider
I've always thought prison rape was horrible and never enjoyed the humor it seems to bring out in a lot of guys.

I think it is sort of a nervous humor in some cases. People make jokes about horrible things all the time. I don't have a problem with this as long as they don't take action on it. But I guess it comes down to your sense of humor.

I still want to hear from the person who doesn't think it's a good deal. I'm also curious what bjc12's opinion is (beyond specific drug rules).

 

[zendari]

What happens in prison stays in prison.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: zendari
What happens in prison stays in prison.

:Q

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: zendari
What happens in prison stays in prison.

What exactly does that mean? Are you saying prison rape is fair? Do you deny the possibility that an innocent person could be raped?

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: Infohawk

Originally posted by: zendari
What happens in prison stays in prison.

What exactly does that mean? Are you saying prison rape is fair? Do you deny the possibility that an innocent person could be raped?

He's making a joke...As in "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Get a sense of humor

 

[kogase]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: Infohawk

Originally posted by: zendari
What happens in prison stays in prison.

What exactly does that mean? Are you saying prison rape is fair? Do you deny the possibility that an innocent person could be raped?

He's making a joke...As in "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Get a sense of humor

Ho ho ho... wow. I don't even think he was making a joke, but if you think my sense of humor should accommodate "jokes" like that...

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: ntdz
He's making a joke...As in "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Get a sense of humor

zendari, is this true? If so, what is your view on the fairness of prison rape.

 

[HombrePequeno]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: Infohawk

Originally posted by: zendari
What happens in prison stays in prison.

What exactly does that mean? Are you saying prison rape is fair? Do you deny the possibility that an innocent person could be raped?

He's making a joke...As in "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Get a sense of humor

It's nice that you find humor in rape. Next thing you know, you'll start laughing at people with cancer.

 

[Riprorin]

What do you think about prison rape?

I think it's bad.

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

What do you think about prison rape?

I think it's bad.

Where are the five people that don't think it's a problem?

 

[nutxo]

Originally posted by: Infohawk

Originally posted by: Riprorin

What do you think about prison rape?

I think it's bad.

Where are the five people that don't think it's a problem?

I see many people post about the injustice in the world and think violence perpetrated on a convicted criminal is acceptable. I would imagine a great many behind bars are in for non violent reasons, not to mention the wrongly convicted.

How can we possibly expect a person to be rehabilitated when we have no compassion at all?

(I dont think a person behind bars should be babied , just not raped or beat to death)

PS too. I have to admit that once or twice Ive felt that the person being sent to prison needed to be punished by other prisoners. I guess in that respect Im a little hypocritical.

 

[zendari]

Originally posted by: Infohawk

Originally posted by: ntdz
He's making a joke...As in "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Get a sense of humor

zendari, is this true? If so, what is your view on the fairness of prison rape.

Yes it is. People are so tense these days.

I think its bad too.

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: zendari
People are so tense these days.

Hey, five people voted that it's not a problem. I was just wondering if you were one of them since I wasn't familiar with the joke.

 

[zendari]

Apparently not. Perhaps you should add this new bill to this thread.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

What do you think about prison rape?

I think it's bad.

I think rape is bad.

CsG

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: zendari
Apparently not. Perhaps you should add this new bill to this thread.

Apparently not what?

 

[zendari]

Apparently you didnt get the joke.