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| Women who have dared
to speak out against
sexual abuse in the Michigan state prison system, whether through
complaints or lawsuits, have
been harassed, threatened, and even raped again
in retaliation. Nowhere to
Hide tells their
story.
Revenge against these women, particularly those who have joined the class-action suit Nunn v. State of Michigan, filed by about thirty inmates in 1995, has included various forms of sexual assault and harassment. Guards have targeted individuals for excessive "pat-frisks" which amount to abusive groping several times a day, and have punished women by writing unjustified disciplinary tickets and falsely charging inmates with drug possession. As disciplinary offenses add up, the women can lose time gained for good behavior (thus seeing their release date pushed back), be transferred to segregation units without any access to work or education, and/or be denied all visits from their family. Many of the women targeted for retribution are the strongest and most articulate, leaders whose spirit the guards want to break as a warning to others. Unfortunately, since guards have impunity in attacking these women, their tactics have been effective. Many women have been intimidated away from stepping forward, and women singled out for revenge have been driven to great distress and even attempts at suicide. Since the release of Nowhere to Hide, some Michigan state representatives have expressed their desire to push for change, and activist groups have continued their advocacy work on the state and local level. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit alleging violations of the federal Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and that suit was later consolidated with the Nunn suit. Unfortunately, on June 11, 1999, the Justice Department agreed to a settlement which was grossly inadequate to provide protection to the women against continuing sexual assault and abuse. Human Rights Watch urged the Justice Department to withdraw its motion for conditional dismissal of the suit, reinstate the complaint, and press the Michigan Department of Corrections for meaningful reforms. On July 21, the Federal District judge put the settlement on hold, invited the lawyers representing the women to present evidence demonstrating the settlement's flaws at a hearing, and has insisted that the Michigan Department of Corrections include the inmates' lawyers in any future negotiations of another settlement. For more information, see Human Rights Watch's landmark 1996 report, All Too Familiar, which describes the historical and legal background of sexual abuse in women's prisons and documents the situation of women prisoners in five states and the District of Columbia. For general information on Human Rights Watch's work on prisons, please click here. Other links: The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women tried to visit Michigan prisons in June 1998 to investigate, and was denied entry at the last minute. Her report on violence against women in state and federal prisons describes the abuse taking place in Michigan as "truly shocking." Also see: Amnesty International's report on human rights violations of women in prison, and The National Women's Law Center. What you can do: * Write to the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and urge them to negotiate a settlement with Michigan officials that protects women in Michigan state prisons from further attacks and retaliation. The settlement should include independent oversight. * Write to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and urge it to support comprehensive legislation to protect women in prison from abuse and from retaliation for reporting abuse. * Write the Justice Department and urge it to produce a study on the problem of sexual abuse of women prisoners and barriers to holding abusive correctional officers and their superiors accountable. The report should include an action plan to address this issue. Write to:
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