Overwhelmingly, American jails and prisons are dangerous and dehumanizing places. The men, women and children in jail or prison are at the mercy of their keepers, who control their physical location, safety, medical and mental health, even their ability to seek or speak with their families and loved ones.
Yet, being incarcerated should not constitute forfeiture of an individual’s right to basic dignity.
We advocate for safe conditions, access to quality physical and mental health care and protection from harassment and sexual assault.
The Eighth and Fourteen Amendments of the Constitution guarantee that prisoners will be treated humanely and with respect for basic dignity.
No Independent Authority
The United States is the only democracy in the world that has no independent authority to monitor prison conditions and enforce minimal standards of health and safety.
The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) recognizes “Being transgender is a known risk factor for being sexually victimized in confinement settings.”
Transgender Inmates Targeted
Transgender prisoners are victimized at rates nearly 10x those for prisoners in general.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is rampant in correctional facilities. In the state of Missouri, at least 10-10% of the population within the Department of Corrections is infected. However, only 0.11% are being treated.