Non-Violent Drug Offenders
Urged to Give Insight on Prisoner RapeBy Andrea Cavanaugh
In the vitriolic debate over U.S. drug policy, politicians often overlook the real casualties of the "War on Drugs" – the many non-violent drug offenders who suffer savage sexual brutality in our jails and prisons.
Stop Prisoner Rape, the only organization dedicated solely to ending sexual violence against men, women, and youth behind bars, is embarking on a groundbreaking project. Stories from Inside will show how U.S. drug policy and three-strikes laws have added to prison overcrowding and fueled a dramatic increase in prisoner rape.
U.S. prison populations have been affected by the War on Drugs more than any other factor – in 2000, roughly 20 percent of state prisoners and a staggering 57 percent of federal inmates were incarcerated on drug charges. In 2003, state prisons were 16 percent above capacity, and federal prisons were overflowing with 40 percent more inmates than capacity.
The link between overcrowding, the drug war, and prison rape is clear. Overcrowded facilities make it harder for officials to maintain safety and security, and non-violent drug offenders often become targets of violent inmates and are more likely to suffer sexual abuse behind bars.
Drug war prisoners now have an opportunity to speak out and help break down the culture of violence that governs our prisons and jails. SPR is seeking non-violent drug offenders who are survivors of prisoner rape to tell their stories.
We will honor requests for anonymity, but hope survivors will consider that using their names and photographs will give their story a powerful impact. A SPR representative will conduct face-to-face interviews with survivors who agree to go on the record, take their photographs and make an audio recording of their story.
We’ll also help survivors prepare for the advocacy campaign that will accompany the release of Stories from Inside. When it is released to the public, the project will help shatter stereotypes about prisoner rape and break down the commonly held perception that drug defendants "get what they deserve" while in custody.
The project will show that prisoner rape and sexual abuse affects all of us, inside and outside of jails and prisons.
By taking the courageous step of telling their stories, non-violent drug offenders can help to break the cycle of violence and prevent rape behind bars.
If you would like to participate in Stories from Inside, or know someone who would, please contact Andrea Cavanaugh, SPR’s Public Outreach Associate. Write to SPR at 3325 Wilshire Blvd. Ste. 340, Los Angeles, CA, 90010, call (213) 384-1400 x106, or email acavanaugh@spr.org.
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