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Protecting Prisoners from Rape
Op-ed: Responsible for those in custody
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UPDATES AND REPORTS
JDI to Testify at House Subcommittee Hearing
Action Update, July 2009
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"The horrors experienced by many young inmates, particularly those who are convicted
of nonviolent offenses, border on the unimaginable. Prison rape not only threatens
the lives of those who fall prey to their aggressors, but it is potentially devastating
to the human spirit. Shame, depression, and a shattering loss of self-esteem accompany
the perpetual terror the victim thereafter must endure."
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, Farmer v. Brennan
JDI works to protect the basic human rights of all detainees, in the U.S. and internationally.
When the government takes away someone’s freedom, it has a responsibility to protect
that person’s safety. All inmates have the right be treated with dignity. No matter
what crime someone has committed, sexual violence must never be part of the penalty.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, Farmer v. Brennan
The reason JDI does this work is simple: sexual abuse in detention is a perversion of justice and an affront to our society’s most essential values. It shatters the lives of thousands of people every year, and it hurts the rest of society as well, by spreading violence and disease both within and far beyond the prison walls.
Now the good news: sexual abuse in detention is preventable. It is possible to put an end to this type of violence. JDI is the only organization in the U.S., and perhaps in the world, that focuses exclusively on ending rape behind bars.
