The frequent mistreatment and abuse of prisoners within prison walls is not only one of the most pressing issues within the American prison system, but, unfortunately, also one of the most ignored. In an interview, a former inmate stated “Rape and sexual assault are as basic to the American prison experience as bars and bunk beds” Due to mismanagement, defective policies, and dangerous practices, sexual abuse and violence in prisons has grown immensely in the past years. In 2011, 8,768 allegations of sexual assault and harassment were reported nationwide. This number skyrocketed 180% by the end of 2015 with 24,661 allegations reported. According to the Huffington Post, 217,000 American prisons are raped each year. Additionally, the “Report on Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Correctional Facilities” released by the Department of Justice stated that 12.1% of juveniles also report experiences of sexual violence within correctional facilities. Prison rape victims face painful repercussions such as physical wounds, sexually transmitted diseases and psychological harm. With no support and sufficient psychological and medical treatment, many are left to suffer in silence.
As if the abuse itself was not terrible enough, victim reports are often ignored by authority members, and the prisoners are accused of lying. A federal law, the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1996, made it extremely difficult for prisoners to sue prisons for assault and violation of their civil rights. The few who manage to the actual legal process often face biases and see an insignificant outcome. Correctional officers dismiss the majority of allegations as false or lacking enough evidence. According to a report released by the Bureau of Justice, of the 61,316 investigations in 2012-2015, correctional officers found that only 8.5 percent, or 5,187 allegations were true. The lack of action discourages inmates to report the abuse in the first place. In the image shown below, of the 120 abuses cases that were reported in New York State prisons, in the 120 abuse cases that were brought against guards in New York State Prisons, only 8 guards were dismissed. Furthermore, the fear backlash from authority members like prison guards and staff also dissuades inmates to report abuse.
In the early 2000s, Authorities and politicians of all levels became aware of this crisis and have taken steps to stop the preventable abuse. In 2003, Congress finally recognized the sexual violence crisis within prisons, and passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) with the intentions of enhancing the safety of prisons for inmates and correctional officers. Then in 2009, the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC), a commission created under PREA, released a set of standards that would reduce prison rape. The commission presented four standards “to provide detailed guidance to federal, state, and local officials on how to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse in their confinement facilities.” The commission also suggested various procedures that would minimize rape such as publicizing sexual assault data within prisons, improving staff training to identify warning signs of abuse and the correct response, limiting cross-gender searches and supervision, and making it easier for prisoners to report abuse. Congress granted state officials one year to optionally comply to the standards; however, a 5% decrease in federal corrections funding would take place if the standards were refused. Since 2012, 48 states, excluding Utah and Arkansas, agreed to comply to the PREA standards and began working towards providing a safe environment for inmates.
As the #MeToo movement has matured in recent years, many former inmates find themselves being excluded from the movement as they come forward about their abuse during incarceration. A cultural shift is needed in order to convince the public that prisoners did not “deserve” the abuse they endured in prison; however, it is difficult because inmates are so alienated from society. In an interview with Nicole Wolfe, a former inmate, Nicole stated, ““You have to understand that most people in prison are there because they committed a crime. I committed my crime, but while you’re in there, you need to be safe. And it’s not OK that you’ve become the victim of a crime.” Women of the #MeToo movement are attempting to bring prisoners in the conversation by publishing letters from those who are still detained and including them in media coverage. Violence and mistreatment within prisons is far from gone, but authorities and society are working together to create a safer prison environment because no one should have to endure sexual abuse, even those who are incarcerated.
Works Cited
” Guards vs. Inmates: Mistreatment and Abuse in the US Prison System (In Partnership with Starz from VICE Media), partners.vice.com/starz/starzpowers4/news/guards-vs-inmates-mistreatment-and-abuse-in-the-us-prison-system/.
Mahone, Regina. “For Survivors of Prison Rape, Saying ‘Me Too’ Isn’t an Option.” Rewire.News, Rewire.News, 8 June 2018, rewire.news/article/2018/01/08/survivors-prison-rape-saying-isnt-option/.
McElwee, Sean. “America’s Awful, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Prison System.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 31 Aug. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/sean-mcelwee/incarceration-america_b_3528901.html.
Santo, Alysia. “Prison Rape Allegations Are on the Rise.” The Marshall Project, The Marshall Project, 25 July 2018, www.themarshallproject.org/2018/07/25/prison-rape-allegations-are-on-the-rise.
Stannow, Lovisa, and David Kaiser. “The Way to Stop Prison Rape.” The New York Review of Books, www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/03/25/the-way-to-stop-prison-rape/.
“US: New Prison Rape Standards Offer Landmark Protection.” Human Rights Watch, 17 Apr. 2015, www.hrw.org/news/2012/05/17/us-new-prison-rape-standards-offer-landmark-protection.
I think another reason to work towards stopping this environment is that the inmates can’t adjust to life if they get released from prison. They have been committing crimes there and are used to that environment.
I never knew there is so much violence, sexual assaults, and mistreatment in prisons. However, I am not surprised. Just in order to hold a prison, so much money is needed from the state and the nation- money that would otherwise be used for schools, technology, military. As this money is very important, the request for additional money for psychological and emotional needs would never be approved, especially as prisoners are considered as “lower level” citizens. However, if we truly want people to reform and be better, we can’t let them be scarred for life.
It is terrible that I am finding out most of these statistics through your blog and not through news stories exposing the terrible conditions of prisons. We hear a lot about overcrowding or understaffing issues in prisons, but rarely see the dangers inmates face. I am glad to hear the start of a #metoo movement within the prison system and hope that it can be expanded to reach nationwide awareness.
I have heard that this is common in many American prisons. Even though these people committed crimes that doesn’t mean that they do not have feelings and feel pain. I can’t imagine how painful it would be to have to suffer in silence like that.
Tell him to make a fair my son is in ironwood prison where they have a horrible case of coronavirus and the staff are not wearing gloves they’re not being separated the tables are close together the inmates are still close together even in this situation where they should be quarantined their study bringing in sick people and my son has cancer and I’ve already sent a request for him to be released from a compassionate release due to him having cancer but somebody needs to go and see this person and get it under control before so many people lose their lives which is not fair to them
I have a love one in Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield Ky. He has been treated with diabetes meds along with other meds that he was never had blood work sent out to a doctor to diagnose him diabetic. They have stop giving him his psyc meds. And I found out that his sister which is locked up too. They stopped her high blood pressure medication and kidney meds too. I have tried to reach out to find the correct person to file a compliant but I haven’t had any luck. The facility has lied on me to keep me from visiting them. Someone please help me. They have both been set up for something they are innocent of
Call legal aid and they will tell you who to call
I have a son going thru terrible times there, the guards want him to beat up another inmate wish he said no now, Guards don’t give him breakfast or sometimes lunch, they verbally abuse him, guards lie so much corruption. My son lost freedom but not his rights.
Utah state prison should be investigated I believe my loved one is being stripped of his rights he is in max and has been sending me messages that his life is in danger I’m so scared for him he only gets out 3 hours a week and it was for a fight that was self defense that the prison will not let him talk about he is a black man and I believe they are using prison to in slave him I I know by the way he talks to me he is being more than just miss treated he fears for his life please some one help help help something bad is going on in there
I was incarcerated in Kitsap County Jail in 2016. At the time I had 2 medical conditions; Tourettes Syndrome and Epilepsy. I was denied medication and suffered a seizure. I was found on the concrete floor with a pool of blood around my head due to the seizure by my cellmate. I have suffered TBI, memory issues, PTSD, Anxiety, Tinnitus, depression, and concentration issues. I have had suicidal ideations. The county jail and prison claim to have done no wrong. I had a prosecutor investigate this and was said “They did the right thing”. Basically saying they did no wrong. I worked before this and no I am not able to work. I used to be on 3 medications now I’m on 14 as of right now. I had 2 doctors now I have 7. This all could have been prevented by just giving me my 3 medications I was on before they incarcerated me.
Been in there and seen abuse firsthand. Have a several friends in prison right now and they all experience medical department issues as they put in for sick call and no one calls them up to medical in a timely manner. If there is someone getting beat up I have seen the guards take their time getting in there to break it up because it they enjoy watching an inmate suffer. I witnessed good guards and bad guards. The good guards are afraid of reporting the bad guards so they don’t lose their job. I have a friend right now who has been hit in the face with a lock by two inmates that got into his cell. Bones in his face were broken and he had surgery but issues still persist and medical is ignoring him. The abuse is real, not imagined. Not all inmates are nasty but most of them are scared because it is a dangerous place to be and there is nothing you can do to get away.
First, I would like to bring out the incarceration of people with disabilities! Can you imagine being at the mercy of people who have no concerns about consequences, and can mistreat or abuse a population who are enable to do anything about it! I am giving an example of an autistic man, who is difficult but has never raped or murdered anyone! First day, suicide watch! the inmate refused and stated he had been cleared of suicide ideation! He probably struggled and then was tied to a restrain chair for 6 hours! When in the suicide unit, he was given a jhonny, no mattress, no sheets or blanket, and no pillow! He had to sleep on a bare metal bed, he was freezing all night! he also had no tooth paste and could not brush his teeth for several days! His release keep being postponed, so he languishes in this awful situation! People with autism should not be jailed or sent to prison! we have hospitals, where they could receive care and medications, which would be more appropriate!