When Youth Can’t Say ‘No’-Raping Kids Behind Bars

It is truly revolting and should sicken anyone who reads this becauseif a minor were to be abused, especially sexually abused, the full extent of the law would be handed down to the perpetrator. Why, there would be people all across the nation crying foul, attacking the alleged suspect before he/she ever had their day in court, and the suspect would eventually have to move before the trial began because of death threats. Age-of-consent laws and the moral fabric of society, which is frayed at this point, would enact that, fueling riots and violence against this monster. However, on the inside, where control over their bodies is legally out of their hands, young criminals cannot plausibly say "no" -- their status not only as delinquents but as victimsof previous sexual assaults makes them unreliable witnesses, giving cover to their abusers. It's hard to believe a convict, true, I have been trained to have that ideology. In contrast, one must give credence to these anonymous surveys amongst the weaker side of the law.

Let me remind you that these children are 13 to 21 years of age. In Texas, you can be held criminally liable for your actions at the tender age of 10. It should be no surprise that youth are becoming more and more violent. According to the Justice Department, more than 60% of children surveyed were exposed to violence within the past year. Nearly half of all children surveyed were assaulted at least once in the past year, and about 6% were victimized sexually.

Other findings from this same survey of 4,549 children under the age of 17 unearthed:

Nearly one in ten children said they saw one family member assault another in the past year.
More than one-half of the children, about 57%, reported having been assaulted at some point in their life.
Over 13% reported having been physically bullied in the last year.

Congress passed a law six years ago to reduce prison rapes, establishing a commission for developing state and federal guidelines. Though the commission released the guidelines June 2009, resolution is still pending. Ironically, Obama made an official statement that same month rebuking Iranian protesters, stating that ‘we call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people...' Okay, so we have a lot to work on, but things are out of control here in our backyard, and I don't see it getting any better.

Hardly any staff at prisons, youth or adult, receive punishment for violating inmates.
There is a wealth of information about children being raped in prison on the Internet. I encourage you to follow the insightful links I have posted here to educate yourself about a growing plague sweeping across our nation. We need better hiring practices for prison/jail staff. A high-school diploma should not be enough. Perhaps a blinding spotlight on those who take advantage of our children, inside or outside of the barbed wire, can lessen this epidemic!