It didn’t start as rape. Just weeks after arriving at a Kentucky jail, Rosa (not her real name, to protect her safety) was already a target. One of her guards, a captain, entered her cell and demanded that she undress for him. Refusing was not an option, so Rosa complied. Of course he returned. That
Just Detention International and Prison Fellowship wish to thank Sen. John Cornyn for his leadership in the effort to end the sexual abuse crisis in U.S. detention facilities. He and Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii recently co-authored a letter, signed by 12 colleagues, strongly urging adequate funding for the Justice Department’s implementation of the Prison
To the editor: Amy Wakeland, Los Angeles’ first lady, rightly argues that our sexual abuse problem extends far beyond Hollywood. (“Sexual abuse is everywhere in L.A., and it’s behind our most challenging social problems,” Opinion, Oct. 23) Indeed, one needs to look no further than local detention facilities to grasp the crippling effects of this
When three prison officials at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn were charged in May with sexually assaulting at least six women in their custody, it did not come as a surprise. The federal prison has been plagued by scandal in recent years, including two high–profile cases of staff sexual misconduct. What may be surprising, however, is that
Jessica Seipel still remembers how intimidated she was the first time she entered a prison. “You go through a door and hear it slam behind you,” she told Rewire. “Then you go through another door and you hear that slam behind you.” Seipel was entering the prison as a rape crisis counselor to provide support services