Take action to adopt stronger prison rape standards!
Prison rape is no laughing matter. Sexual assault is always a crime, and we must hold abusers accountable. Please write Attorney General Eric Holder and ask him to change course and adopt stronger standards. Use our suggested text below or use your own words—but please make your voice heard today.
For more information on the prison rape problem in our prisons, visit the Prison Rape key issue page.
Pray
- Pray for comfort and healing for victims of prison rape.
- Pray that God would raise up compassionate mentors to counsel and care for victims of prison rape.
- Ask God to transform the hearts and lives of abusive, violent inmates and prison officials.
- Pray for honesty and integrity among prison officials to prevent, report, and prosecute prison rape.
- Pray for the Attorney General to have the courage to adopt stronger standards, more like the original standards released by the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission.
- Pray for state leaders to recognize the terrible crime of prison rape and adopt stronger standards.
Spread the Word
Talk with your family and friends about why we must combat rape in our prisons and jails.
- Correctional facilities across the country struggle to protect the men, women, and children confined within their walls. Approximately 60,500 sexual assaults occur in our state and federal prisons each year. This is roughly 4.5 percent of the U.S. prison and jail population. More inmates report sexual abuse from prison staff than from fellow inmates. (Sexual Victimization in State and Federal Prisons Reported by Inmates, 2007, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2007)
- No matter how bad the crime, just punishment never includes rape.
- Because the government removes offenders’ every means of self-defense when they enter prison, the government has an obligation to protect these vulnerable people.
- Corrections administrators are responsible to create prison cultures with zero tolerance for prison rape. Administrators must clearly communicate with their staff that all rape is unacceptable. Staff must be trained on how to prevent inmate-on-inmate rape and inmates must be trained to know their rights under the law to report and prosecute sexual assault. (Strategies to Prevent Prison Rape by Changing the Correctional Culture, National Institute of Justice, 2008)
- Far too many prison staff who rape inmates are not prosecuted because inmates are too scared to report the assault or prison officers do not care. Prisons must create effective processes for inmates to report assault and must investigate and prosecute all incidents. (National Prison Rape Elimination Commission Report, 2009)
- The damage done by prison rape does not stay behind bars. The disease, the psychological damage, and the desire for revenge caused by prison rape come back to plague our communities when prisoners are released. (Addressing Sexual Violence in Prisons, The Urban Institute, 2006
Hold Government Accountable
Write a letter to your newspaper about what must change in our corrections system.
Dear Editor:
Prison rape shatters the lives of real men and women, and not just those who live behind bars. The Bureau of Justice Statistics has documented an alarming number of sexual assaults in our prisons, and it is a scandal that people in the custody of the government are not being protected from sexual predators. Attornery General Holder is in a position to implement strong standards to hold prison officials accountable for eliminating rapes in their prisons. We know that there's a responsibility for independent review, but AG Holder's changes will leave many inmates less protected than those proposed by the Commission. Please adopt the standards proposed by the Commission.
Change the Law
Write a letter to the Department of Justice and let them know you believe it's time to adopt stronger standards for prison rape. Use our sample letter below or compose one yourself—but write today!
First Name Last Name
Address
City, State Zip
Hon. Eric Holder
Offices of the United States Attorney General
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Attorney General Holder:
I join with Prison Fellowship in urging you to implement the strong standards proposed by the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. Your proposed rule weakens them significantly and I strongly urge you to reconsider.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics has documented an alarming number of sexual assaults in our prisons, and it is a scandal that people in the custody of the government are not being protected from sexual predators. You are in a position to implement strong standards to hold prison officials accountable for eliminating rapes in their prisons. I know you have the responsibility for independent review, but your changes will leave many inmates less protected than those proposed by the Commission. Please adopt the standards proposed by the Commission.
Sincerely,
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