SEX IN THE D.O.C.

"Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured." ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., -Letter from Birmingham Jail

SEXUAL PROBLEMS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT

So the problem we're talking about today is sex.  In the real world that may be an anticipated conversation, but in prison it is too often something to fear and dread. What you learn from the latest article by The Disgusted Correctional Officer should make you ask, why do men work in the Women's prisons and women in the men's?  Couldn't we avoid much of the situation by changing the personnel to the same sex as the prisoners they keep?

There is an extraordinary air of unhealthy sexual tension within our prisons that is being dealt with in a manner that is dangerously akin to the "Just Say No" concept of the Drug War.  The real problem is that just saying 'no' does not stop human hormones any more than the simplistic philosophy of drug warriors ever prevented curious kids from saying 'yes' to the high of drugs.

Because Officers are the authority, they can and do make inmate behavior worse by their own examples. Wives have come to me complaining that their Officer-husbands have picked up nasty habits and an excessive love for pornography from fellow prison workers. I have also received numerous reports of officers' using 'gunning' as an excuse for outraged abuse of inmates, but apparently the officer outrage is contrived:  I get just as many reports of illegal sexual acts committed by prison workers as I do about inmates' "perverted"  sexual behavior. And I'll bet you thought prison workers were supposed to be better than their prisoners!

Just as the FDOC Rules against inmate  'gunning' and the FDOC ban on 'girlie' magazines will not stop sexually deprived inmates from acting out, FDOC rules and Federal Laws do not stop male officers from sexually harassing female officers nor raping prisoners.  Humans remain humans whether they are free or not; the problems are only intensified in the prison environment.

As we should have found out from the long-standing-never-resolved drug prohibition, we obviously cannot legislate morality.

Perhaps the department would have more luck with the inmates if they did allow 'girlie' magazines so inmates would go off and do their thing in private.  Perhaps if they had more educational programs, arts and crafts and jobs, they'd have less problems with people who have nothing but time in their hands. [pun intended].

Some people are fighting back. A lawsuit is being filed by the victims of a Hamilton CI ex-guard/classification officer named David Deas, who raped untold numbers of prisoners in the years since 1999 with no interference from staff, warden, or Tallahassee.  Last year, women's psych councilor and rapist Mr. Poppy at Hernando CI was arrested and tried for forcing his wards into sexual acts.  He did go on trial for one of his many rapes, but the result was 'snafu' as usual when people try to get the department to accept their responsibilities;  He got probation and, if I understand it correctly, can go back to work for the department when the probation is over.

POPPY, THOMAS

U19161

WHITE

MALE

02/05/2009

TAVARES

01/12/1949

As far what can be done about guards who sexually harass other officers or who have physical relations at work (either with inmates or co-workers), perhaps the solution might be in better training, perhaps firing a few who don't 'just say no' in order to set an example for the rest. Another solution is lots and lots of lawsuits such as the sexual harassment lawsuit Officer Karen Jones and six other female employees had to file (they tried keeping it within the department, but superiors would not respond appropriately).

And you might want to encourage your legislators and prison administrators to rethink their staffing policies so that women and men are sexually assigned according to the inmates with whom they work.

The author of the following article was questioned about MTWT by the FDOC Inspector General's Office, which makes me highly doubt Crosby's stated good intentions. Otherwise they wouldn't be worried about a little old lady like me presenting the reality of the seething sexual situation in florida prisons.

Anyway, at the attorney-for-the-writer's request the report is presented anonymously.
Along with the censored officer's statement are articles and responses from readers.

Kay Lee

SEX IN THE D.O.C.

A Disgusted Officer

Reader's Responses

Tamara Corbett

Richard J. Schimelfenig

Former Officer

Staff Sexual Misconduct
Washington Post - Washington, DC, USA
Co-chairs of the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons

RELATED LINKS

Two Female Prison Workers Sue State for Sexual Harassment by Officers
http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/fci/lawteylawsuit.html

Female Corrections Officers v. Dept. of Corrections (DOC)
http://www.angelfire.com/fl5/mtwt2/flnursessue.html

OTHER RELATED STORIES

Here is a new case of inmates' behavior and male officers' response to that behavior. I've also included links to the female officers' lawsuit on sexual harassment by officers and a story from Gary Waid about the whole nasty mess.  Thank you for your attention.  Kay Lee

"A Plague of Priapisms Unloosed"
By Gary Brooks Waid
http://www.angelfire.com/la/kaylee/plague.html

INMATES 'GUN' FEMALE NURSES MALE OFFICERS IGNORE PROBLEM
Female Corrections Officers v. Dept. of Corrections (DoC)

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE DOC
Sexual harassment is another of the many laws being broken by Florida bullies wearing uniforms of authority.
This is a subject that hasn't been discussed ...
www.angelfire.com/fl4/prison/harassment.html