from the Prison System
By: Elizabeth Wright
"Report sexual misconduct or sexual assault," the prison announcement urged. Do it "anonymously," the prison announcement said. The prison system in Pennsylvania had a copy of the rape announcement given to every prisoner. There was a phone number and all. Only trouble was, it's pure manure! Don't ever believe anything the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment says. There's a lot of sexual misconduct in Pennsylvania's prisons. Almost all of it is the staff abusing prisoners. Guards like Michael Conti sexually harass and handling prisoners. The guards universally demean everybody with sexual banter. Sexual assaults in the guise of searches and pat-downs are common in both men's and women's prisons. In the women's prisons rape is widespread and other forms of sexual abuse are daily occurrences. That's why it was astounding to see the prisons' announcement, "BREAK THE CHAINS OF SILENCE...." it announced in all capital letters. Seeing the announcement might make a sucker believe that the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment had suddenly implemented a policy of protecting prisoners. Don't you believe it! The announcement was cosponsored by Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. That little touch gave the manure an aroma of authenticity. A prisoner who's being sexually harassed, abused or raped might momentarily believe that he/she could anonymously turn in the miscreant. I venture to repeat myself (in all capital letters) DON'T EVER BELIEVE ANYTHING THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF IMPRISONMENT TELLS YOU! Lying is their official policy. For one thing, Pennsylvania prisoners can't use the phone to ring up 717-703-2702. Pennsylvania prisoners may telephone only numbers which have been approved and censored in advance, close family, as a rule. Okay, let's pretend that Petro Gonzolas, a prisoner at the Huntingdon state prison, is being gobbled up by a prison guard. He's not fond of having the guard's pasty face in his lap. Petro wants to report it. He calls his family and gives them the anonymous snitch phone number. His idea is that Pop should call-in the complaint.
So, Petro (or Patricia) tries using the mail. He/she writes home (supposing he/she still has a home to which to write). Pop gets the letter. Pop calls the "anonymous" phone number. Pop dutifully reports that the guard is nibbling on stuff that shouldn't be in his mouth. Is all well? Will the prisoner get the guard's tongue off his balls? Not a chance! As soon as a pervert guard is reported, a battery of prison lawyers are there to lie and protect the assailant. We taxpayers pay over a million and a half dollars a year for lawyers who protect the guards from the consequences of their abuses. Even if Patricia or Petro does what the announcement urges and snitches out the guard, it means nothing. Debra Sue Rand or one of her cadre of prison lawyers is there to cover it up using your money to do it. I have to keep repeating, never, ever, believe anything the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment tells you! Lying is official policy. So Petro awakens to discover a guard shoving a hairy erection ~ where it doesn't really belong. What's he to do? He can't use the phony anonymous reporting number. He can't even count on the Pennsylvania Prison Society to be on his side. They're in the man's pocket. Talking to the Prison Society is exactly the same as talking to a prison security captain. Report the abuse and you're going to the hole for lying," or "disrespect" or anything they can think of, plant or trump-up. You can always send the report to us. We'll do our best to see what can be done to at least stop the abuse. Reach us at:
Frankly, most prisoners take a more direct, effective, albeit violent approach. They whack their assailant in the nuts with a copy of the Bible and they pray. The whack does a hell of a lot more good that the praying. So, what exactly was the reasoning behind the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment distributing the announcement urging victims to report? It was a lie, part of official prison policy, say one thing, do another, con the public. We wonder if the suckers at the Pennsylvania Coalition against Rape knows how they've been used. Dear friends, if Beard or his boys tell you something, you're being lied to.
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No! you see, that wouldn't work, either. All the prisoners' calls
are recorded, censored and listened to by guards. If the victim
asked Pop to report Guard A, Guard B would hear the conversation
and tell the assailant. Pretty soon Petro would be in the hole
or