Prison Rape: a Hidden Epidemic

By Chuck Colson|Published Date: June 25, 2009

Note: This column describes a horrid practice, the very discussion of which some might find offensive.

"I would love," said California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, "to personally escort [Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth] Lay to an 8-by-10 cell that he could share with a tattooed dude who says, 'Hi, my name is Spike, honey.'"

Lockyer was reacting to statewide anger over high energy prices. But his casual--even cheerful--acknowledgment of what has always been the great unmentionable--prison rape--horrified people across the country.

"Lockyer should be removed" from office not only because he "has admitted that rape is a regular feature of the state's prison system," but also "because he has publicly stated that he would like to personally arrange the rape of a Texas businessman," raged Tom Palmer, senior fellow at the Cato Institute.

Lockyer's comments are indeed inexcusable. But they may actually do some good if the firestorm of publicity they've ignited ultimately brings about a reduction in the incidence of this brutal, behind-bars crime.

Prison rape has become a hidden epidemic. Some experts estimate that between 300,000 to 600,000 men and boys are victimized every year. Dr. Cindy Struckman-Johnson, who did a comprehensive study of the Nebraska prison system, found that 22 percent of male inmates acknowledged being pressured or forced into sex acts. A horrifying 25 percent of this group say they endured gang rapes, leading many inmates to enter into a "consensual" relationship with another inmate, who then protects him from far-worse gang rapes. Sexual assault and forced prostitution thus become a second form of punishment, especially for young offenders.

These gruesome statistics are all too personal for me. I've visited inmates in over 600 prisons and talked with many rape victims; I've seen fresh blood on cell floors where an attack had just occurred.

Prison rape affects more than just prisoners; it punishes people who never set foot inside a prison. For example, AIDS, which is now five times more prevalent inside prison walls than outside, is a deadly plague that infected inmates will spread once they leave prison. And once released, many inmate-victims visit all the rage and humiliation male rape victims suffer on innocent people--usually women--in a misguided effort to win back a sense of manhood.

Shockingly, despite the tragic and terrible dimensions of prison rape, no government entity collects data on how often this crime takes place--an omission that appalls human-rights activist Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute. Working with concerned Christian groups, Horowitz helped pound out a draft bill called the Prison Rape Reform Act of 2001. It calls for hearings to determine the impact of prison rape and the establishment of standards for reducing it, including the removal of juveniles from adult facilities. An Office of Prevention would collect data on the incidence of sexual assaults and come up with a means for victims to confidentially report them. And prison officials who turn a blind eye to assaults will be put under a public spotlight, required to explain to Congress why they cannot or will not get rapes under control.

This needed law will shine a light into the dark corners of prisons where unspeakable crimes take place. It's easy to depersonalize inmates and think of them as subhuman--especially if we or loved ones have been victimized by violent crime. We may be tempted, in the privacy of our hearts, to whisper, "They deserve it." But no matter what crime somebody has committed, no part of his sentence should include being sexually assaulted and degraded.

Winston Churchill once said that if you want to judge the quality of a society, walk through the prisons. He knew that the compassion and decency of a society is measured by the way it treats people on the bottom of the ladder.

And that is why Lockyer's casual, "I'd love to see him get raped" joke is so unacceptable.

Throughout America's history, Christians have battled against social evils such as slavery, child labor, prostitution, and abortion. We cannot now ignore a constituency that finds itself subject to Satan's fiercest attacks: prison inmates. Remember, our Lord commands our concern for them.

We should fight against prison rape--not because we fear the spread of disease will affect us, and not because we fear that one day our own children may end up in jail for a day--and spend it being gang raped by cellmates.

We should oppose it because it is the humane and Christian thing to do.