Myth of Sexual Abuse in Prison

Sexual violence in today's prisons is a myth enhanced by fiction writers and an ignorance of the facts. Read: The Myth of Prison Rape by Mark S. Fleisher. Inmates that have fears of rape or physical injury can find safety through prison counselors or in emergency protective custody. Many inmates come from a dangerous crime filled environment and can now enjoy the luxury of being in a safe room. Some feel more comfortable in their structured and clean housing unit than in the urban ghettos where they lived. Most have found prison jobs that pay enough to keep them supplied with commissary goods and catalog merchandise. It is a way of feeling a sense of self worth and fosters the acceptance of responsibility. Inmates that violate regulations are quickly discovered and punished with loss of commissary. Prison snitches are always on the alert for unacceptable behavior and are rewarded with better living quarters. Prison guards and their superiors try to keep inmates safe and feeling psychologically secure.

Prisons are not controlled by inmates. They are under the strict control of prison guards. There is nothing that goes on in a prison that guards are not aware of. Seeding informants in every cell block gives guards extra eyes and ears. Cameras are located in strategic positions. Bed counts of inmates are made regularly. The safety of inmates is in the hands of the prison guards and their superiors. It would be almost impossible for an inmate to be sexually abused without the knowledge of prison guards.

Tales of wholesale rape of helpless inmates is the fantasy of sexual deviants. It gives the public exciting reading material and make them happy with their distance from prison life. Some respect the law only for fear of becoming a prison bitch. Unfortunately wrong images of prison life also promotes racism. Most prison fiction is about helpless white boys that are gang banged by black inmates and turned into slaves. It falsely portrays the black man as a sexual predator and angers the reader. This image must be changed. White boys are as safe in prison as any other inmate. They might be in the minority but they are not abused.

It is has been proven that the best way to prevent prison violence is by giving inmates something to lose. The opportunity to make a few bucks at a prison job and commissary privileges is important. But what is also important is a safe environment. Every inmate wants to know that he can sleep well at night without the fear of being gang raped or turned into a prison bitch.