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| Abuse in Jails Makes Life a Prison |
| By article.nationalreview.com |
| Published: 06/29/2009 |
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Criminal Activity Abuse in jails makes life a prison. By Kathryn Jean Lopez One hundred and sixteen. That’s about how many prisoners in America’s jails are raped every day, according to a new report. Alarmingly, “more prisoners reported abuse by staff than abuse by other prisoners,” says Pat Nolan, vice chairman of Prison Fellowship. Nolan calls it a “total abuse of authority” that’s also an indicator of a “breakdown of the system” — a system that purports to be based on the principle of justice. This issue won’t inspire marches on Washington, and it’s not new. But a coordinated effort to change the corrections culture is something novel and long overdue. A study issued by a bipartisan panel established by the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 aims to do just that, investigating “the prevention, detection, response and monitoring of sexual abuse in correction and detention facilities in the United States.” And why did this need to be done? The numbers speak for themselves. “Too often in what should be secure environments, men, women, and children are raped or abused by other incarcerated individuals and corrections staff,” the report found. Nolan, who ministers inside prisons, served on the commission, and calls what happens in the facilities “astounding.” He cautions that the report “significantly understates” the problem, because it relies so much on self-policing and -reporting. The good news, for the sake of human dignity and the health of society, is that in Nolan’s wide experience, Americans are compassionate. The topic is unsavory, so it likely won’t start a large public groundswell. But, Nolan observes, most people assume that no one gets away with rape, a blatantly illegal act, in the hyper-controlled environment of prison. Once they realize that prison life regularly involves the corruption, abuse, or wholesale failure of authority, people quickly express outrage. Further, Nolan says, people understand what this has to do with stabilization, rehabilitation, and common sense. Having had his dignity debased, an abused inmate rejoins civil society with all kinds of uncivil thoughts; he’s bitter and angry at the horrors inflicted on him not just by his rapists, but also by the justice system that overlooked the crimes happening behind bars. So what is to be done? The passage of the prison-rape law in 2003 was a catalyst for a change in corrections leadership. The panel formed by that act, having looked at what works and doesn’t work, what’s going right and devastatingly wrong, came up with standards for detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of rape in our prisons and other corrections and detention facilities. And though there is a federal law on the books and the study was national in scope, Nolan believes that the prison culture must change on the local level, from the ground up. Ask your local newspaper to look into the conditions in nearby prisons Urge your state officials to implement the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission standards. Make sure people at your place of worship or in your social circles know this is happening. Churches have played no small role in the disinfecting process already. These dark crimes came out of the shadows when churches got involved, Nolan emphasizes: “Churches made it a moral issue. In a civilized society we cannot allow this to go on.”Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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