Human Rights Abuses In U.S. Prisons

[Joanne98]

By Ronald Fraser
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=56c2b34f-46c5-41ba-81ba-6ec19dcece66

Published on 1/14/2007 in Editorial » Perspective

Locking up non-violent offenders is not just the most expensive form of punishment. Time in a state penitentiary or county jail also condemns nonviolent men and women to a violent and disease-riddled world where many become increasingly likely to commit more serious crimes. In other words, prisons can do more harm than good and destroy rather than rehabilitate lives.
Too few leaders in Washington seem to care. One exception, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, recently spent a night in a Louisiana prison to publicize that prisons need to start rebuilding lives. Another advocate for sane prison policies is Julie Stewart, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a grass-roots, Washington-based organization working for sentencing reforms.

That's a good start. But to better understand what awaits non-violent offenders behind prison walls, every U.S. Member of Congress and every state legislator should subscribe to the Prison Legal News, a monthly publication “Dedicated to Protecting Human Rights.” Here is what they would find in recent issues.

Physical Abuse. While held in the Sherburne, MN, county jail, a motorist arrested for not having proof of his vehicle insurance was beaten to death by another prisoner.

The state of Michigan agreed to pay $365,000 to a bootcamp prisoner who was strapped to a restraint chair for six hours and suffered kidney and liver failure at the Manistee County jail. The inmate was arrested for violating his parole by returning home one hour late.

The County of Mateo in California will pay $475,000 to settle a wrongful death suit brought on behalf of a woman sentenced to 120 days on a minor drug charge.

The Village of Maywood, Ill., has paid $750,000 to a former prisoner who, arrested for a traffic violation, was severely beaten by his cellmate.

In Oklahoma, an Ottawa County Jail prisoner has been charged with manslaughter in the death of another inmate serving time for failure to pay child support.

Poor Medical Care. An inmate in the St. Lucie County, Fla., jail serving a 240-day sentence for peddling marijuana, died from a reaction to a drug received from another prisoner. The county agreed to pay the man's family $65,000 for negligence.

While serving a five-day sentence in the Portsmouth City, Va., jail for driving with a suspended license, an asthmatic man died due to inadequate medical care. His family has been awarded a $769,000 settlement.

Broward County, Fla., and a private company have been ordered to pay $500,000 to a woman who suffered permanent injury from an untreated ectopic pregnancy while imprisoned in the North Broward jail for failing to appear in court on a cocaine-possession charge.

In Massachusetts more than 1,400 prisoners are known to be infected with the hepatitis C virus but, due to a shortage of money, only 150 are on a waiting list for treatment.

Sexual Abuse. In an ongoing case in Georgia, a female guard has been charged with forcing a male prisoner to strip and masturbate while she watched through the cell door.

A former state prison guard at the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility in Iowa is guilty of withholding exercise privileges when female inmates refused to show him their breasts. A $160,000 settlement was ordered.

Serving time for misdemeanor offenses, three female prisoners at the Halton City, Tex., jail, were sexually assaulted by a male guard who demanded sex in return for favors.

Taxpayers get hit twice. Not only do our taxes build and staff these prisons. But guess who also pays these huge, court-ordered financial settlements going to abused prisoners? The taxpayers, of course.

Here is how Stewart sums up prison policies in America today and why more than one million nonviolent men and women are behind bars: “Blame mandatory sentencing laws and the record number of non-violent drug offenders subject to these laws. One day, I predict, we will look back in horror at the sentences that were enacted for low-level defendants, marvel at their cruelty and be grateful that we moved beyond this dark period in our history.”

This problem concerns more than a few people in state capitals and Washington. Prisons are built and operated, and prisoners are abused, with your tax money and mine. That makes you and me morally responsible for what goes on behind prison walls — and for finding ways to fix the problem.

Ronald Fraser, Ph.D., writes on public policy issues for the DKT Liberty Project, a Washington-based civil liberties organization. Write him at [e-mail].

http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=56c2b34f-46c5-41ba-81ba-6ec19dcece66

[acmavm]

1. Well that sure makes a sham out of the 'rehabilitation' part of the reasons

given for imprisonment of criminals, real or not.

We are such a dirty little ugly country anymore.

[Joanne98]

2. A country that treats it's own people like this isn't fit to rule the world.

[acmavm]

3. 'We' (not you and me, but some of us) think we are entitled to do it to

the world. Hence Iraq, or the indescriminate bombings in Somalia, or the covert wars in Central and South America, or re-installing the Shah on the Peacock throne, or helping Saddam come to power.

[Greyhound]

5. Except for an all too brief time in the 30's, this country has always been

cruel in the extreme to its prisoners. Our system is designed to provide a sense of punishment and vengeance to satisfy and terrify the sheep.

[acmavm]

7. Harsh punishment is ONLY for the sheep. Ask Michael Milken or any

other rich bastard who really was prosecuted (although he got pardoned due to phony health issues) how harsh the facility was where they were incarcerated. Ask Duke Cunningham if he's slow dancing with a guy named Killer.

The very few rich and powerful who do go to prison don't go to the same prisons a 19-year old kid busted for selling pot goes to.

[Greyhound]

9. Of course. They have their own schools, clubs, neighborhoods, restaurants,

airports, as well as their own prisons. Why do you think they they are always prosecuted under some federal statute or other? Why do you think the penalties for financial crimes are so insignificant? Steal $100 from a liquor store and get 20 years, steal millions from seniors and get 18 months.

[brazos121200]

10. Its always been that way. During Watergate all of the

convicted served no more that about 15 months in a "rich" prison except for Gordon Liddy, who wouldn't "play ball" with the system. I remember on Christmas day, 1992, the first Pres. Bush issued numerous pardons for most of the Iran-contra criminals facing charges or just in danger of facing charges. What a Christmas present for the guilty that was!

[brazos121200]

4. I've thought for a long time that prison, which I consider to be a

violent form of punishment, should almost never be used to punish nonviolent criminals. Besides the cost to the taxpayer, incarceration wreaks havoc on the inmate's entire family, and they are not guilty of anything except being related to a person who violated the law. Much better would be community service,heavy fines, or being confined to your home after working hours using ankle bracelets or whatever. If you have committed a violent crime and may be a threat to the public, then fine, prison can be used. Otherwise it is expensive and detrimental to the community.

[Joanne98]

6. Exactly. Welcome to DU!

[stillcool]

8. I'm getting the impression..

that 'government' is one huge money laundering enterprise, whose prime responsibility is to suck up like a vaccum any loose change not already in the possesion of the ruling class. Abuse is a nasty side effect created by the resulting environment, that triggers the very worst characteristics of human nature.

[Joanne98]

11. kick