“Prison rape occupies a fairly odd space in our culture,” wrote Ezra Klein in 2008, bringing to the fore a subject that’s still too often ignored. “It is, all at once, a cherished source of humor, a tacitly accepted form of punishment, and a broadly understood human rights abuse.”
Americans are justifiably outraged by the human rights abuses occurring in foreign lands. Why then are we not more outraged by atrocities here in our own country? Our reactions to the problem range from smirking indifference to embarrassed silence. But how can we be indifferent and silent about rape and other forms of sexual assault taking place in our prison system?
In 2004, the corrections industry estimated that 12,000 rapes occurred per year—more than the annual number of rapes reported outside prisons in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York combined. Three years later, a survey by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) found that more than 60,000 inmates claimed to have been sexually victimized by prison guards or other inmates during the previous 12 months.
Why are we not more outraged by atrocities here in our own country?
As DOJ reports uncovered, prison gangs would target first-time and nonviolent offenders for sexual servitude. Once an inmate is forced into a sexually submissive role (he becomes a “punk”), the gangs treat him as chattel. Because prison guards too often turned a blind eye, the gangs used these “punks” as sexual slaves.
Although most of these inmates are eventually returned to the general public, their sentences could become a death penalty. HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C are up to 10 times more prevalent in correctional institutions than in the outside population. The repeated abuse these inmates receive makes it almost inevitable that they’ll be exposed to one of these fatal diseases.
While men tend to be violated by their fellow inmates, female prisoners tend to be raped and assaulted by correctional facility employees. According to Lara Stemple, executive director of Stop Prisoner Rape, in some prisons up to 27 percent of female inmates are sexually abused. This leads to a shockingly high rate of prison pregnancy, which only compounds the prisoners’ problems.
2 Decades After the Prison Rape Elimination Act
Twenty years ago, a significant step forward in addressing this issue was taken when George W. Bush signed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). This law calls for the gathering of national statistics, the development of guidelines for states about how to address prisoner rape, the creation of a review panel to hold annual hearings, and the provision of grants to states to combat the problem. After sexual torture and abuse were ignored for decades, hearings and reports helped shine a light on the dark corners of our correctional system.
Unfortunately, it took another decade before the DOJ began to implement the prison rape regulations outlined in the PREA. “We’re poised now—finally—to take action,” deputy assistant attorney general Mary Lou Leary told attendees of an American Bar Association event in Washington, DC, in 2013.
The problem has declined but remains at horrific levels. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, about 80,000 women and men are sexually abused in American correctional facilities each year. In 2018, correctional administrators reported 27,826 allegations of sexual victimization, a 14 percent increase from 2015. Of the 1,673 substantiated incidents, 58 percent were perpetrated by other inmates and 42 percent by staff.
While the PREA and other regulations are a necessary start, what’s needed more than any legislation is a change in attitude by the American public. While jokes about conventional rape are always considered in bad taste, humor about prison rape is still common and broadly accepted. Television and films have frequently made jokes about sexual assault in prison.
What’s needed more than any legislation is a change in attitude by the American public.
How odd indeed that we joke about acts we’d denounce if they occurred in other lands. The fact that so many Americans are appalled and angered by human rights abuses in countries like Syria, Iran, and China speaks well of our nation. But we must hold our own country to the same standards. We can’t look away from the sexual torture, assault, slavery, and abuses rampant in our own penal system. Concern for human rights must extend beyond both the water’s edge and the prison door.
What Christians Can Do Now
In recognition of the 20th anniversary of the PREA, and to continue the work it started, there are several things we can do.
1. Raise awareness.
Share information about the issue of prison rape and the importance of PREA with your church community, friends, and family. This can be done through small group discussions, social media posts, and personal conversations.
2. Pray.
Dedicate time to lift up the victims of prison rape, their families, and those working to implement and enforce PREA. Pray for a change in attitudes and a deeper understanding of the value and dignity of every human being, regardless of his or her past actions.
3. Support organizations.
Identify and support organizations that work to prevent prison rape, provide support for victims, and advocate for the rights and well-being of inmates, such as Prison Fellowship and the National PREA Resource Center.
4. Advocate for change.
Write letters to local, state, and federal representatives, urging them to prioritize the implementation and enforcement of PREA. Attend town hall meetings, participate in advocacy campaigns, and use your voice to speak out against prison rape and the conditions that enable it.
5. Offer support to former inmates.
Many individuals who have been released from prison continue to face challenges and barriers in their reintegration into society. Christians can offer support, mentorship, and resources to help them rebuild their lives and reduce the risk of reoffending.
As Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson once said, “Christians are to be salt and light in the world . . . and that compels us to work for justice and righteousness amid the injustices of our society.” By taking these actions, Christians can play a vital role in working toward a more just and compassionate criminal justice system and helping to show the love of Christ to those who were abused in prison.
