Prison rapes is one of those subject that seems to be accepted by MSM because since inmates are the victims, then it is a fair punishment for their crimes they commited that permitted them to be encarcerated in the first place.
When i was a teenager, i used to always hear jokes about prison rapes and men being raped by other men but never really gave them any importance and often laughed along with my buddies because they felt like overdramatized comments.
In another instance,I remember my older brother always warning me about committing any crimes because i would end up being the property of another man and i would always laugh off such pathetic lines and take it as another silly homophobe joke but never really ask follow-up questions on whether prison rapes are much more then just silly jokes meant to scare young people from committing crimes.
As years went by, i befriended this girl, and she onced started telling me this story about his ex boyfriend, now dead.He was arrested at the age 18 for some non-violent acts and got incarcerated. He served his time and got released, but was a complete different person from the one that got arrested at 18 and it wasnt about age...She noticed that his self esteem had dropped and he no longer felt comfortable talking to her..then one day, he hanged himself.....She found out throught a friend of his that he was indeed raped whyle in prison and probably could no longer live with the guilt on his shoulder.
Anyway, after i heard this story, i just felt guilt of my own because of flashbacks running throught my minds of me laughing at those prison rapes jokes during my younger years...I started doing more research online about prison rapes and couldnt believe at some of the articles that i was reading.
Some of the most outrageous things ive heard about prison rapes is that staffs lets it happen or ignores it because its a way to controll the more dangerous prisoners by soften them up so they let them prey on the weaker and younger inmates.
Now, i must tell you, ive spend sleepless night thinking about those articles and i really think something needs to be done about prision rapes.
Im aware that congress had passed some kind of prison rape bill in '03 that "only" ordered the collection of data about prison rapes but anyone knows whether there will be any follow up to actually pass laws that would actually act on those prison rapes?
Anyway, i want to use this diary to provide idea on what can be done to at least reduce prison rape.
Here's some of my suggestion.
1.Stop putting non-violent/young inmates in the same cell with violent inmates.
2.Weaker or smaller status inmates should be asked whether they would like to be in a cell alone and in a shower alone..inmate shouldnt have to go eat with the general population if he's afraid that he could get sexually assaulted.
3.Prison staff should educate younger/weaker/first time offender how to avoid prison rape and sexual assault.
4.All rapist should be locked up in a small cage for a week and be fed like a dog.
Anyway, those are some suggestion and if you have better ones, post them.
One final thing...does anyone knows whether the next congress would take on this subject and pass something?