Prisons and Prison Rape

[Aquinas62]

I have read the threads regarding capital punishment and its morality and justice. Many seem to believe that life in prison is much better alternative .

Recently a local prominent business man was indichted (sp) and may be sent to prison for many years. As I read the comments section after news stories about this man, one theme seems very prominent… Prison Rape is a big joke and is wished upon this man, and this comes from both the right and the left. Anybody watch OZ or The Shawshank Redemption?

Does anybody believes that Our Lord thinks prison rape is funny? You dont hear that addressed in social justice forums, and one of the reasons I think is that is a crime mainly commited by men on men… Our culture seems to think it is “Justice” and it is fodder for comedians and late night jokes… I think it is a crime against humanity.

 

[flyingfish]

I have read the threads regarding capital punishment and its morality and justice. Many seem to believe that life in prison is much better alternative .

Recently a local prominent business man was indichted (sp) and may be sent to prison for many years. As I read the comments section after news stories about this man, one theme seems very prominent… Prison Rape is a big joke and is wished upon this man, and this comes from both the right and the left. Anybody watch OZ or The Shawshank Redemption?

Does anybody believes that Our Lord thinks prison rape is funny? You dont hear that addressed in social justice forums, and one of the reasons I think is that is a crime mainly commited by men on men… Our culture seems to think it is “Justice” and it is fodder for comedians and late night jokes… I think it is a crime against humanity.

I think the reason you don’t hear about it is that people generally think criminals deserve it.

Wouldn’t petty criminals (i.e. non violent, non serious offenses) end up in good quality prisons where rape is unlikely?

Personally I am not going to shed any tears if some rapists/murderer/child molester got raped. It’s only sad because there is the chance that someone innocent could end up in prison and get raped.

(I actually recently saw Shawshank Redemption, but it’s a movie, with prisoners portrayed as heroes and decent men. This is not the case in reality. People who end up in places like that are violent offenders.)

 

[manualman]

We very much live in a culture that would 100% scub out the kindness to prisoner requirements of the Corporal Works of Mercy if they could. Fortunately, the Church disreagrds public opinion on such things and teaches the truth anyways.

Convicts are human beings, even if they’ve committed horrible crimes. I think what you’ve noted is also why the death penalty enjoys such support in America. I’m not sure if it’s the chicken or the egg, but nearly every Hollywood action/adventure movie has a bad guy that is not only bad, he is an utterly inhuman monster that we are manipulated into cheering for his death. This needs to be fought.

 

[Rascalking]

I think the reason you don’t hear about it is that people generally think criminals deserve it.

Wouldn’t petty criminals (i.e. non violent, non serious offenses) end up in good quality prisons where rape is unlikely?

Personally I am not going to shed any tears if some rapists/murderer/child molester got raped. It’s only sad because there is the chance that someone innocent could end up in prison and get raped.

(I actually recently saw Shawshank Redemption, but it’s a movie, with prisoners portrayed as heroes and decent men. This is not the case in reality. People who end up in places like that are violent offenders.)

Flyingfish is right, again (your on a roll Fish!)

I strongly support the death penalty, while I find prison rape abhorrent. There needs to be a serious attempt at prison refrom in this country. Non violent criminals and violent ones need to be kept apart, and we need much stricter control on guards, inmates, you name it.

Again though, if you begin to apply the death penalty to those that deserve it (child molesters, murderers, etc) this wouldn’t be a problem. You can’t rape someone if your six feet under.

 

[Bluegoat]

I agree it’s horrible.

There are lots of issues feeding into why this is the case - the causes of crime, over-use of prisons, etc.

But it is true, people seem to have this conception that those who have committed crimes deserve whatever happens to them as a result. I only hope that they remember that they will be judged in the same way.

 

[Aquinas62]

maybe there should be 3 types of prisons with 3 different missions

1 Violent offenders, this would be reserved for murderers and offenders who have hurt other human beings. this would include FORCIBLE Rape… Armed Robbery, Assult and battery

2.Non Violent Sex offenders

1. Non violent offenders, White collar,

I will leave it to smarter people to determine programs for these prisoners…

BTW I know SSR was fiction… I know that isn’t reality

 

[vera_dicere]

I don’t support the death penalty, and frankly I think the prison system is too soft.

Yes, prisoners, regardless of their actions, are still human beings and they must be granted their dignity due to that fact.

Frankly, I think the concept of prision rape should be more publically high lighted, it could act as a deterant to individuals contemplating lives of crime.

From a health perspective it needs to be addressed, as all sorts of nasty disease and mental health crises can be spread because of prison rape.

 

[Ella]

Prison rape is an evil, shameful fact and we should do everything we can as a society to prevent it.

 

[Newbie2]

I think the reason you don’t hear about it is that people generally think criminals deserve it.

Exactly. How can we adequately punish a criminal, for example, who rapes and kills a child? Death penalty; too quick and easy. Life in prison; much better, especially when they have to live in fear every day.

That’s pretty much the consensus, methinks.

There needs to be a serious attempt at prison refrom in this country. Non violent criminals and violent ones need to be kept apart, and we need much stricter control on guards, inmates, you name it.

And what would you suggest, given that most states don’t have the money to keep prisons running as it is?

 

[iamrefreshed]

Any type of rape is a violation of our human dignity, prisoner or not. To wish rape upon someone is beyond understanding!

 

[MercyMia]

This IS a hard subject indeed.
At the end of the day…I want what God wants. That is, to have as many souls enter into heaven with Him. We have to think of the parable of the workers that Jesus gave us, those who worked a full day and those who showed up later still got the same pay for the day’s work. It seems unfair to us, but this is what God has said.

So, I want justice on earth for criminals BUT I do not want the chance for a criminal to repent to be completely lost. When prisoners are tossed into prison with animals and constantly barbarized, that leaves less room, in my opinion, for them to understand mercy and repentance. Even the worst sinners deserve dignity. They do not deserve freedom or even pleasantries, but they deserve dignity.

Now, I do not want to sound soft on criminals here AT ALL. I am not. I think for instance, that rapists should get an automatic life sentence, or death. However, we as a human race miss an opportunity to defeat satan when we do not try and spiritually reform criminals (but not release them due to it). I think of beautiful Maria Goretti, who forgave her rapist and murderer as she died and then greeted him in a dream. He repented! Oh how satan must have hated it, for this murderous act made a saint of one and a convert of another! Thankfully there are lots of wonderful Christians who devote their lives to prison ministry. I think the danger comes when we have sympathy for a criminal, which is a form of false mercy, and we no longer want to see them punished for their crime on earth just because we also want to see them repent and join the Kingdom.

 

[mexilad]

maybe there should be 3 types of prisons with 3 different missions

1 Violent offenders, this would be reserved for murderers and offenders who have hurt other human beings. this would include FORCIBLE Rape… Armed Robbery, Assult and battery

2.Non Violent Sex offenders

1. Non violent offenders, White collar,

I will leave it to smarter people to determine programs for these prisoners…

BTW I know SSR was fiction… I know that isn’t reality

There is no such thing asa non-violent sex offender.

 

[Aquinas62]

There is no such thing asa non-violent sex offender.

Yes there is… an 18 yo boy having sex with his 16 yo girlfriend… if charges are pressed the boy can go to prison and labled a sex offender… same as child pornography charges… it is wrong, it is evil, but not violent. The same goes for “sexting” Don’t forget, there have been a LOT of men imprisoned for crimes they did not commit, who were later found innocent due to new DNA technology.

To anti death penalty people… If you want them to be raped, tortured and murdered in prison, just say so. just dont say you are anti death penalty.

I don’t shed a tear about the ones who actually hurt a child or anybody… they get what they deserve, and I think that the death penaty would be actually merciful.
but the non violent ones, should be segragated as just maybe, they can be helped.

 

[lynx]

I have read the threads regarding capital punishment and its morality and justice. Many seem to believe that life in prison is much better alternative .

Recently a local prominent business man was indichted (sp) and may be sent to prison for many years. As I read the comments section after news stories about this man, one theme seems very prominent… Prison Rape is a big joke and is wished upon this man, and this comes from both the right and the left. Anybody watch OZ or The Shawshank Redemption?

Does anybody believes that Our Lord thinks prison rape is funny? You dont hear that addressed in social justice forums, and one of the reasons I think is that is a crime mainly commited by men on men… Our culture seems to think it is “Justice” and it is fodder for comedians and late night jokes… I think it is a crime against humanity.

I believe God can think or make anything is funny. Also, rape is not justice. However, if a comedian wants to make a joke about it then I will not stop them. How is being killed any less a crime against humanity than being raped?

 

[lynx]

Don’t forget, there have been a LOT of men imprisoned for crimes they did not commit, who were later found innocent due to new DNA technology.

To anti death penalty people… If you want them to be raped, tortured and murdered in prison, just say so. just dont say you are anti death penalty.

This makes no sense to me. You admit that people are imprisoned for crimes they did not commit but feel that the death penalty would be more merciful than prison life? Perhaps you might think differently if you were wrongly accused of rape and murder then sentenced to death. Or would you be happy you weren’t going to prison for life?

 

[Aquinas62]

This makes no sense to me. You admit that people are imprisoned for crimes they did not commit but feel that the death penalty would be more merciful than prison life? Perhaps you might think differently if you were wrongly accused of rape and murder then sentenced to death. Or would you be happy you weren’t going to prison for life?

read a little closer to what I said… you may get my meaning… try a little reading comprehension.

 

[Aquinas62]

Also, rape is not justice. However, if a comedian wants to make a joke about it then I will not stop them.

How about Lynching? would you stop at that? draw the line?

Like the old saw about rape… “If it is going to happen anyway, you might as well just lie back and enjoy it”. you are right… Rape is NOT JUSTICE!!!