Posted on 06/21/2002 7:01:23 PM PDT by Capriole
Look, first of all, please forgive me. I know I haven't done this right, but I can't figure out quite how to post this, my first vanity post. So please be kind and bear with me. I'm seeking the opinions of Freepers because you are collectively the most broadly experienced, tough-minded, and knowledgeable group of people I've ever encountered.
I learned a few days ago that my ex-husband, the father of my eight-year-old son and fourteen-year-old daughter, has been arrested for sexually abusing his stepdaughter, who was 12 1/2 to 13 at the time. He is 61, formerly a distinguished, internationally prominent scientist, medical school professor, author, executive, and lecturer. He has admitted his guilt and there's no question he's going to jail, though it's not clear for how long. What I wonder is, do they put an old guy like that in some kind of protective custody, or do they just let the prisoners mess with him as much as they please? Is there much chance he's going to survive? I know that child molesters are not exactly popular in prisons and thought I had heard at one point that for that reason they were kept apart from the general prison population. He's in the People's Republic of Maryland, if that helps.
Don't want to give the impression that I'm worried about him--as far as I'm concerned, all child molesters ought to be just put up against the wall and shot, since they're irredeemably evil--but you can perhaps imagine that his life or death is a matter of interest to me and my children.
That's should be the priority.
Never let him near the kids.
He can request protective custody, and a lot of prison systems will put sex offenders in separate areas by default, but the word is that "if the guys in the general population want to get at you, they can". Also, if the guards dont like you for any reason, they will put you where other inmates can mess with you.
That being said, there are a bunch of sex offenders in prison, and all of them dont get messed with. The best rule is "mind your business and do your time". If his lawyer can get him to serve his time in county jail, or, better yet, work-release, he will have a lot smoother time. There is a BIG difference between most county jails and state or federal prison. Most county inmates are their for a few months, then they either get released or get sent to prison. They dont really have time to establish a territory or pecking order. Since your ex is over 40, he will get put with older inmates in most county jails. That would be better for him. The young inmates in any county jail are 98% of the troublemakers.
The bottom line is, he would be much better staying for as short a time in possible in state prison. The folks I've known who have been there always say "you dont wanna know what goes on there".
Jail will probably not be easy for him, as you know child molesters are not popular, and he may be forced to do some of the things he did to his kids and more. It's OK to feel he should be in jail, and at the same time want him to be physically safe from being assaulted. Prison shouldn't be about rape, but that's what it's become.
There's not much you can do, other than try to figure out what's happened or not with your kids and help them deal with this, and keep your head up. Good luck and God bless your children and you.
Vivian Berger, Sentenced to Rape, CounterPunch, February 6, 2002
Neve Gordon, Rape used as control in U.S. prisons, National Catholic Reporter, September 14, 2001
Steve Chapman, The Hidden, Accepted Horror of our Prisons, Townhall.com, June 7, 2001
Sasha Gear, An uncomfortable, unspeakable truth, Mail & Guardian (South Africa), May 25, 2001
Lisa Sandberg, Sexual attacks in Texas prisons seldom prosecuted, San Antonio Express-News, May 24, 2001
Philip Weiss, Uncovered Prison Rapes Show Failure of Media, New York Observer, April 30, 2001
The toll of prison rape, Toledo Blade, April 27, 2001
Jane Eisner, Inmate rape is the dirty secret of a nation obsessed with jails, Philadelphia Inquirer, April 26, 2001
Cruel and Usual, Washington Post, April 23, 2001
Rape in Prison, New York Times, April 22, 2001 (registration req'd)
Anthony Lewis, A Test of Civilization, New York Times, April 21, 2001 (registration req'd)
Joanne Mariner, Judicial Abdication of Responsibility for Protecting Prisoners From Rape, FindLaw's Writ, April 19, 2001
Tamar Lewin, Little Sympathy or Remedy for Inmates Who Are Raped, New York Times, April 15, 2001 (registration req'd)
Alison Healy, Governor says prison rapes are uncommon, Irish Times, August 25, 2000
Tracy Farran, Worst nightmare: Prison rape, Daily Mail and Guardian (Johannesburg, South Africa), May 22, 2000
Former Inmate Testifies in Prison Rape Trial, APBnews.com, October 20, 1999
Lewis Griswold, Guards laughed at rape: witness, The Fresno Bee, October 14, 1999
Mary Rose Liverani, Prisoner rape not "inevitable," Law Society Journal (New South Wales, Australia), September 1999
Christian Parenti, Rape as a disciplinary tactic, Salon.com, August 23, 1999
Kevin Corcoran, Sick Justice: The face of prison rape, The Times (Munster, Indiana), September 19, 1997
Stop Prisoner Rape, an organization committed to combating the rape of male and female prisoners and to helping survivors of jailhouse rape.
ACLU National Prison Project, a project of the American Civil Liberties Union that seeks to create constitutional conditions of confinement and strengthen prisoners rights through class action litigation and public education.
CURE, an organization seeking to promote the fair and humane treatment of prisoners, and far less reliance on incarceration as a response to crime.
Prison Law Page, contains articles and other information with regard to criminal justice issues in California.
Prison Legal News, a monthly journal that covers prison-related news and analysis from across the country and around the world.
Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825 (1994) (only Supreme Court case involving rape in prison)
Mervin v. Furlong, No. 99-1135 (10th Cir. 2000)
Spruce v. Sargent, 149 F. 3d 783 (8th Cir. 1998)
K.F.P. v. Dane County, 110 F.3d 516 (7th Cir. 1997)
Langston v. Peters, 100 F.3d 1235 (7th Cir. 1996)
Billman v. Indiana Department of Corrections, 56 F. 3d 785 (7th Cir. 1995)
United States v. Bailey, 44 U.S. 394 (1980) (coercive conditions no defense to prosecution of inmates for escape from jail)
Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice, Program Statement, Sexual Abuse/Assault Prevention and Intervention Programs, CPD No. 5324.04 (December 31, 1997)
Florida, Protection Against Sexual Violence in Florida Jails and Prisons Act, Senate Bill 226; Senate staff analysis of bill (PDF file)
San Francisco Sheriff's Department, Policy and Procedure on Sexual Assault, Procedure No. F-04 (September 19, 1997)
If you want to help in any way you can pray for your ex, but it seems the only tangible thing you can do now is deal with the facts you have today and help your children get through this diffult time. Whatever your ex has to go through now, is for him to deal with. It's his burden, not yours.
And don't worry about your ex's future: "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."
"I would love to personally escort [Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth] Lay to an 8-by-10 cell that he could share with a tattooed dude who says, 'Hi my name is Spike, honey,' " Lockyer said.
Lockyer, who is investigating whether energy firms have manipulated prices on the wholesale electricity market, made the comment in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that appeared Tuesday.
Once again,this was uttered by the Attorney General of California!
Sorry about you finding out in such a manner.
Any child abuser/molester doesn't deserve to die a quick death.
Punishment of the most cruel and unusual type is in order.
I have no idea what is in store for your ex in prison as I have never been there and don't know anybody that has that will talk about it.
That might tell you something right there.
- Try to find out what really happened. In the case I know about "sexual assault" meant that he kissed a little girl on the leg. It's in no way appropriate but it's a long way from rape, violence, etc. This guy may or may not be the monster he's being made out to be.
- A "confession" may be dubious as well since the police often ask leading questions. I the case I know of, the guy was very drunk at the time and he thought by "confessing" he would be sent to AA or something. Your ex's lawyer may be able to get the "confession" thrown out if it's not too late.
- I don't know about Maryland, but in Florida an inmate is first sent to what you might call a "new guy camp" to try help the inmate adjust. In the case I know, the inmate was sent to a prison with an inmate population older than the average prison, but there were still some younger guys there.
Some advice for him:
- Don't tell ANYBODY why he's in there.
- Choose his friends very carefully and don't be good buddies with the guards. Don't do anything to stand out with the other inmates or with the guards.
- The person I knew died from a heart problem primarily because it was 33 HOURS before they took him to the hospital.
- Good luck and God Bless.
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