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| Lawmakers Call Prison Rape U.S. Human Rights Abuse |
| By Reuters |
| Published: 08/02/2002 |
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Lawmakers of both parties on Wednesday denounced the rape of hundreds of thousands of inmates in U.S. prisons and jails each year as a national disgrace and a massive abuse of human rights. Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, told the Senate Judiciary Committee the victims included pre-trial detainees and immigration detainees, as well as convicted criminals. He said prison officials too often failed to take obvious steps to protect vulnerable inmates. Kennedy, together with Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, is sponsoring a bill that would force the Department of Justice to collect statistics and investigate prison rape. 'Prison rape has devastating physical and psychological effects on its victims. It also has serious consequences for communities,' Kennedy said, citing the risks of spreading HIV and hepatitis C. Mental health counselor Robert Dumond told the committee many victims experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and many were at risk of committing suicide. Other male victims became violent themselves as a way of reclaiming their masculinity. Some two million people are held in U.S. prisons and jails, and studies have shown that between 10 percent and 22 percent of the men and a somewhat lesser percentage of the women are raped each year, although there is no definitive data. 'For years, no one has wanted to talk about it, much less act to address the problem,' said Rep. Frank Wolf, a Virginia Republican co-sponsoring the legislation in the House of Representatives, along with Virginia Democrat Bobby Scott. 'Prison rape receives virtually no attention by our media, our politicians or the public at large,' Wolf said. 'Society only measures things it cares about, and as a nation we need to begin caring about prison rape.' The Prison Rape Reduction Act of 2002 has broad support in both parties and is being backed by a coalition of human rights and religious organizations forming a rare coalition of left and right. The act would direct the Justice Department to conduct an annual statistical review and analysis of the frequency and effects of prison rape. It would also establish a special panel to conduct hearings on prison systems and individual prisons and jails where the incidence of rape is high. It also directs the attorney general to provide information and training for state and local prison authorities on the prevention, investigation and punishment of rape. |
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