美国监狱里的强奸问题

Inmate advocates worry that a proposal toreduce the financial penalties for states that don't comply with a 2003 federallaw aimed at eliminating rape behind bars will severely damage it.

囚犯权利倡议者担心对那些不遵守2003年颁发的联邦法案的州降低经济处罚的建议将不利于该法律的实施，该法律的目标是消灭监狱里的强奸。

 

 

The measure failed this fall. Its sponsor,Sen.John Cornyn, R-Texas, vows to re-introduce it in the newGOP-controlled Congress.

这个法案在今年秋天失效了。该法案的支持者来自德克萨斯州的共和党人参议员John Cornyn承诺将在共和党控制的新国会里重回引入该法案。

Cornyn said the funds include grants forworthy programs — such as ones that support rape and domestic violence victims— and that the law should be more narrowly tailored to affect money that goesto prison construction, operations and administration.

他说这个基金将给有价值的项目拨款，比如为强奸和家暴受害者提供帮助的项目，还说必须让这份法律拥有管理监狱建设、运作和管理等费用的权力。

Supporters of the measure acknowledge thechange would essentially eliminate the financial penalties, since little — ifany — federal grant money is used for prison construction, daily operations andadministration.

这项措施的支持者承认说，做个改变将从本质上消灭经济处罚，因为联邦的拨款资金中几乎没有用来进行监狱建设、日常运营和管理的。

Those costs are typically handled by localgovernment budgets.

这些费用主要由当地政府的预算中拨出。

A LONG-IGNORED PROBLEM: PRISON RAPE

一个被长久忽视的问题：监狱里的强奸

Inmate advocates had lobbied for years forpolicymakers and lawmakers to address the problem of prison rape. Federalstatistics show about 216,000 adult and juvenile inmates are sexually assaultedeach year, compared to 238,000 inthe overall U.S.

囚犯权利倡议者游说多年要求政策制定者和立法者解决监狱里强奸的问题。联邦统计数据表明每年有216000成年人和青少年囚犯被性侵，而全美每年被性侵的人数为238000人。

More than half of all sexual assaultsbehind bars are committed by prison staffers, according to the U.S. Departmentof Justice, and more than half of those employee-on-inmate assaults arecommitted by women.

根据美国司法部门的数据，超过半数的囚犯被性侵事件是监狱工作人员干的，而在监狱工作人员性侵囚犯的案例中，又有超过半数是女性监狱工作人员干的。

Among the most vulnerable populations arethe mentally ill, juveniles and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender inmates.

其中最弱势的群体包括了精神病患者，青少年，蕾丝，同性恋，双性恋和变性者等等这些囚犯。