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| Sexual Abuse Behind Bars |
| By washingtonpost.com |
| Published: 09/15/2009 |
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The men and women charged with ensuring an orderly and safe environment behind bars too often use their positions to sexually abuse prisoners. So concludes a recently released report from the Justice Department Office of Inspector General, which documents a litany of problems that still plague the nation's federal prisons. The report, which comes on the heels of a thorough study by the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, should serve as a catalyst for immediate action. The Bureau of Prisons operates 115 prisons in 93 locations, housing approximately 171,000 inmates. Allegations of sexual abuse by prison staff more than doubled from 2001 to 2008. "Staff sexual abuse of prisoners has severe consequences for victims, undermines the safety and security of prisons, and in some cases leads to other crimes," the IG's office concluded. Reports of abuse arose in all but one of the 93 locations and involved male and female employees. Not surprisingly, allegations were made most often against staff who interacted most with inmates -- namely, those in food services, recreation, vocational and educational training. There were some bright spots. For example, the IG reports that prosecutions of criminal sexual abuse by staff rose by some 12 percentage points due in large part to prosecutors' willingness to tackle such cases after Congress enacted tougher penalties. Of the 90 prosecutions, 83 resulted in convictions or guilty pleas. Read More. |
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