When a prison is known as the 'rape club,' our justice system has a credibility problem

[Stevicus]

When a prison is known as the 'rape club,' our justice system has a credibility problem (msn.com)

This was an interesting opinion piece written in response to the recent conviction of a women's prison warden in California (Jury Convicts Former Federal Prison Warden for Sexual Abuse of Three Female Inmates | OPA | Department of Justice), charged with having sex with incarcerated victims and abusive sexual conduct.

A jury recently convicted a former warden of a women’s prison in Dublin, California – also called the "rape club" because of its reputation for sexual violence – of eight charges, including having sex with an incarcerated victims and abusive sexual contact.

I think what really struck me about this article was this remark from the former warden's defense attorney, which speaks volumes about the problems of law enforcement and criminal justice in this era:

“Who are you going to believe?” James Reilly, Ray Garcia’s attorney, asked jurors during closing arguments, according to local news outlet KTVU. “(A) law enforcement officer with an impeccable record or a convicted felon?”

And this is why it's time to admit that the Prison Rape Elimination Act – in effect for two decades – is not working: The system doesn’t take victims’ accounts as credible.

Why should anyone automatically believe or disbelieve someone because of their occupation? "Impeccable record"? Who gets to decide that? If we were to believe someone based on the reputation of their profession, then how would cops, attorneys, and politicians rank, compared with aluminum siding salesmen and three card monte dealers?

• In a Senate report released Tuesday, investigators found that in 19 of 29 facilities, federal employees sexually abused female prisoners over the past decade. The investigation uncovered documents demonstrating that guards confessed to having sexual contact with prisoners but were never prosecuted.
• Former inmates in Hawaii are suing the state for 53 rapes in three years.
• In Clark County, Indiana, one jail guard allegedly sold the keys to the women’s facility to male inmates for $1,000.

On Oct. 12, Inspector General Michael Horowitz wrote a memo to the newly appointed director of the Bureau of Prisons, Colette Peters, complaining about the bureau's policy of not relying on inmate statements “to make administrative misconduct findings and take disciplinary action against BOP employees, unless there is evidence aside from inmate testimony that independently establishes the misconduct."

I think we need to take a long, hard look at the practices of law enforcement and criminal justice - from top to bottom. From the politicians who make the laws, to the judges and lawyers, to the cops, prison wardens, parole officers, and anyone else who make it appear that it's the criminals running the country while the honest people have to fear them.

 

[Revoltingest]

It's interesting that this appears to be only
about women being raped in prison. Rape
is also common in men's prisons, but this
appears to be a nothingburger.
The problem is not that women are being
raped...it's that the entire justice system
doesn't respect the rights of all prisoners.
This is why women are rape there.

 

[Father Heathen]

Our system - from the cop, to the judge, to the warden, etc. - Is ****ed.

 

[Stevicus]

It's interesting that this appears to be only
about women being raped in prison. Rape
is also common in men's prisons, but this
appears to be a nothingburger.
The problem is not that women are being
raped...it's that the entire justice system
doesn't respect the rights of all prisoners.
This is why women are rape there.

Yes, it's true that rape is common in men's prisons, and that should also be addressed. This article just happens to be about a specific case, though it puts a light on what appears to be a serious national problem. It's certainly no "nothingburger."

 

[Revoltingest]

Yes, it's true that rape is common in men's prisons, and that should also be addressed. This article just happens to be about a specific case, though it puts a light on what appears to be a serious national problem. It's certainly no "nothingburger."

That last word refers to the serious given by
the public, the justice system, & legislators,
ie, very little concern.

 

[PureX]

We get the justice we want in a democracy. (Not that the U.S. is a democracy.) Millions of Americans want prisons to be places of rape and torture and murder. They think that's what those "law breakers" deserve. There is a big faction among us that approves of a "no mercy" mentality in life, and in their idea of "justice", especially.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Provide 24 hour video recording upon request. Every minute can be recorded and held for a number of years. This is not expensive these days. Then if something happens the prisoner can demand the video as testimony. Then there will be no question about who has done what, so if a prisoner complains or is harmed the problem can be investigated retroactively.

 

[Aštra’el]

Prison is just a reflection of what humanity is really like, beyond your delusions.

 

[Alien826]

We get the justice we want in a democracy. (Not that the U.S. is a democracy.) Millions of Americans want prisons to be places of rape and torture and murder. They think that's what those "law breakers" deserve. There is a big faction among us that approves of a "no mercy" mentality in life, and in their idea of "justice", especially.

I was intending to write something similar. I speak to so many people that say these things are OK because it's somehow part of the punishment, and they deserve it anyway.

A prison sentence is about loss of freedom, not rape!

 

[Alien826]

Prison is just a reflection of what humanity is really like, beyond your delusions.

You judge all humanity based on the worst of us under extreme conditions?

Odd.

 

[Aštra’el]

You judge all humanity based on the worst of us under extreme conditions?

Odd.

For most of human history, humanity has lived under “extreme conditions”.

 

[Alien826]

For most of human history, humanity has lived under “extreme conditions”.

Amusing contradiction, if what you say is true then the conditions are not extreme, but normal. But I see what you mean.

What about "the best of us" though? Looking at "the best of us" throughout these "extreme" times, how about all the good that has been done in spite of the times?

I think the question of whether humanity is essentially "good" or "bad" is difficult to answer, given that we are actually looking at individuals and we can find examples of both. I wouldn't assume either extreme (all good or all bad) so easily.

 

[SomeRandom]

When a prison is known as the 'rape club,' our justice system has a credibility problem (msn.com)

This was an interesting opinion piece written in response to the recent conviction of a women's prison warden in California (Jury Convicts Former Federal Prison Warden for Sexual Abuse of Three Female Inmates | OPA | Department of Justice), charged with having sex with incarcerated victims and abusive sexual conduct.



I think what really struck me about this article was this remark from the former warden's defense attorney, which speaks volumes about the problems of law enforcement and criminal justice in this era:



Why should anyone automatically believe or disbelieve someone because of their occupation? "Impeccable record"? Who gets to decide that? If we were to believe someone based on the reputation of their profession, then how would cops, attorneys, and politicians rank, compared with aluminum siding salesmen and three card monte dealers?



I think we need to take a long, hard look at the practices of law enforcement and criminal justice - from top to bottom. From the politicians who make the laws, to the judges and lawyers, to the cops, prison wardens, parole officers, and anyone else who make it appear that it's the criminals running the country while the honest people have to fear them.

Not saying ours are any better (I honestly don’t know)
Still