Rape escalating in U.S. prison system

A Department of Justice report highlighting prison rape cases in the United States has been issued. While inmate on inmate rape is not necessarily a new or startling occurrence, the report cites an alarming rise in staff on inmate rape. The top perpetrators of this injustice are Great Meadow correctional facility in Washington, D.C., as well as 5 prisons in the state of Texas. The Estelle Unit in Hunstville, Texas has an alleged rape rate of 15.8 per cent over the past year. Many victims say that they were raped multiple times, including by staff. Compare this to the 4.5 per cent rape rate for the country overall.


The most alarming citation in the report is that of the West Texas State School, a juvenile detention facility. Two top officials at the institution have been charged with sexually exploiting inmates, even though staff knew of the problem and had reported it on several occasions. The institution had recently been awarded commendation for its internal auditing measures.

The Obama administration, and Attorney General Holder, are calling for common sense solutions to what seems to be a culture of violence in the U.S. prison system. They are seeking zero-tolerance policies, as well as mandatory reporting of abuse. Will this be enough to curb what is clearly a human rights issue and will their efforts eliminate those staff who would perpetrate it?