NYC Council Members Seek To Decrease Sexual Violence In Prisons
New York City Council member Helen Rosenthal on September 6, 2018 at a city council meeting on the criminal justice system
Sexual harassment and assault are not being adequately reported in jails according to New York City Council Members. Today, two new bills have been introduced to attempt to change that.
The bills would mandate the Department of Corrections issue more detailed reports on the sexual harassment and abuse of inmates, staff, and visitors. These reports would be more exhaustive in detail, providing information on the gender identity of those involved as well as the type of incident.
Council member Helen Rosenthal says those incarcerated are already vulnerable without considering other dimensions of individuals’ identity like gender and sexual orientation. She says the city has a responsibility to protect those in its custody.
Trans & gender nonconforming individuals are disproportionately victimized by sexual violence in U.S. prisons & jails. Bureau of Justice 2011-12 survey found that OVER ONE-THIRD of incarcerated trans persons experienced sexual victimization.
— Helen Rosenthal (@HelenRosenthal) September 6, 2018
Councilman Rory Lancman says of the nearly 600 reports of sexual abuse and harassment filed between July of 2017 and June of 2018, not one case has been substantiated, “That means there was not one case, not one inappropriate touch, not one assault, not one rape that investigators found was more likely than not to have happened. That is obviously a failure in our investigatory system.”
The Department of Corrections says they try and reposed to reports within 72 hours, but are understaffed and are dealing with a backlog of cases.
