Corrections1 Staff
NORFOLK, Va. — Thirty-five inmates have filed lawsuits against the Virginia Department of Corrections, claiming that the department has not done enough to protect them from sexual violence.
According to the Virginia-Pilot, the prisoners are trying to put legal pressure on Attorney General Eric Holder to implement regulations set forth by the National Prison Rape elimination Commission (NPREC). The deadline for the formalization of protective measures recommended by NPREC came and went yesterday without the required action of Mr. Holder’s office.
The prisoners’ lawsuits echo urgent calls from civil rights advocates and Washington lawmakers aimed at Attorney General Eric Holder to take action against sexual violence in detention facilities.
Federal studies by NPREC claimed that sexual violence in prisons and jails is preventable and, in turn, recommended policy changes that the Justice Department has failed to put in place. (Respondents to a Bureau of Justice Statistics survey claimed that inmates are often sold like property to other inmates and reports of rape of often ignored by officials. Some studies estimate that approximately 100,000 prisoners suffer sexual abuse each year.)
Four of the inmates’ thirty-five suits cleared their first hurdle when a Norfolk federal judge allowed them to go forward. According to the Virginia-Pilot, the thousands of inmate lawsuits filed each year face significant hurdles, especially when pursued without attorneys.