A federal Department of Justice report released in recent weeks reveals an enormous black eye on Georgia’s reputation. Researchers found that four of Georgia’s juvenile detention facilities rank among the worst U.S. facilities for the sexual victimization of incarcerated youth. This includes one facility in Paulding County that shamefully led the nation, with nearly one-third of its teens reporting sexual assault by staff or other juveniles.
Justice Fellowship, the criminal justice reform affiliate of Prison Fellowship that I lead, has been a longtime advocate for the elimination of prison rape. We believe that whether the victim is the most heinous adult offender or a youth incarcerated for nothing more than stealing a bag of Doritos, sexual assaults are never part of a just sentence.
That is why Justice Fellowship spearheaded passage of the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, which requires the Department of Justice to report incidents of prison rape, cite the worst prisons and establish a clearinghouse for complaints.
With the support of a broad bipartisan coalition — from the Southern Baptist Convention and the National Association of Evangelicals, to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism — the legislation’s goal was to prevent prison rape while respecting the role of state and local governments in the administration of correctional institutions.
So why should the people of Georgia care about the rape of juveniles under its supervision? Aren’t these “juvenile delinquents” deserving of whatever ills fall their way while incarcerated?
Absolutely not, because the consequences of ignoring this issue are far-reaching. The grave, physical consequences of the rape of juvenile inmates threaten the health of our state. This hideous practice spreads HIV/AIDS, following victims and perpetrators alike when they eventually leave incarceration and re-enter our communities.
The emotional and psychological consequences of rape also harm a teen’s chances for successful re-entry to society. Egregious and often-repeated incidences of sexual violence serve not to teach these youth a lesson about the consequences of being incarcerated. Rather, they produce a teen who has become more hardened while incarcerated, someone who is more likely to take out their well-justified anger on others in unhealthy ways, often resulting in additional crimes.
Some may doubt if there’s really a way to prevent these sexual assaults. Yet this recent report is evidence that great progress can be made in combating sexual victimization in juvenile facilities. Nationwide, 26 juvenile facilities had no reported incidents of sexual assault, nor did Delaware, Massachusetts, New York and the District of Columbia.
In the wake of this report, the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice suspended 20 employees for failing to adequately do their jobs. The department is to be commended for not turning a blind eye to the lack of adequate protection of teens in their care. For no matter how terrible the crime, these kids’ sentences never included being raped.
Craig DeRoche is president of Justice Fellowship, the criminal justice reform affiliate of Prison Fellowship, www.JusticeFellowship.org.
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