Prison Rape

I do not want my rapist to be raped.

Congress appointed a commission to study how to reduce prison rape. In 2007, there were an estimated 60,500 rapes in federal and state prisons. See NYT article here. There are about 1.6 million people incarcerated. A Bureau of Justice report on sexual violence says there were around 3 reported rapes for every 1000 inmates. If you do the math, the Justice Department gave the Congressional committee an estimate that is around 10 times the number of reported assaults. Most will not report the attacks. Not only are there more juveniles in with adults than ever before, but about 5% of the prison population are non-citizens who are afraid of being deported if they file charges. Just as rape victims in the ordinary world outside prison are unlikely to report rape; prisoners must be even less likely, seeing as they have to face their attackers in their cell every day (most assaults are committed in cells at night by fellow prisoners); and because they will likely get laughed out of the water.

We think it's funny that prisoners are subjected to rape. Think about it. How many jokes have you heard about it? We're starting to realize those who joke about rape in general are Neanderthals. But even the well-educated and good among us still joke about prison rape.

But I don't want my rapist to be raped.

When I was at court, waiting for my rapist to take a plea deal, the victim's advocate (whom I admired, and who gave me great comfort and strength) said, "don't worry, he'll be someone's bitch as soon as he's locked away." He's pretty and he's short. He won't stand a chance.

I was raped. Why would I want the same for my rapist?

People want revenge. An eye for an eye. But that would be legitimizing the violence that was done me. I am here to say rape is wrong. Under all circumstances. On moral grounds, rape is never OK. For practical reasons, tolerating rape in prison makes post-incarceration life even more precarious and unproductive. We are creating thousands of victims who will face the reality of PTSD and all that does to make employment and healthy participation in society difficult. PTSD is difficult enough for the general population. Add PTSD to a criminal past and you've got yourself thousands of very broken people. And they are walking amongst us.

So for pete's sake, if you can't muster up the moral courage to say rape is a crime even against rapists, then simply act with self-interest: say prison rape is wrong because you don't want your own neighborhoods wracked with the consequences of trauma perpetuated in prison, and let loose to the world outside. I know what rape and PTSD does to a girl who basically had it all. I fear for what it does to those who started out with so little.

Rape is wrong. Even against my rapist.