WHAT RAPE CULTURE? Michigan Court Says Juveniles Can Be Raped and Abused in Prison
A Michigan appeals court dismissed the case on a minor procedural technicality, one that did not warrant or require the court to dismiss. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, the court decided to also address the substantive claims—and ruled against the children. The Detroit Free Press reports:
The lawsuit alleges violations of the prisoners’ rights under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, but the appeals court said a 1999 amendment the Legislature made to the state civil rights law explicitly said the law does not apply to prisons.
The plaintiffs argued that amendment was unconstitutional because it denies prisoners equal protection under the law, and cited a 2007 federal court case, Mason v. Granholm, in which the judge ruled the 1999 amendment was unconstitutional.
But the court rejected the arguments. […]
The court said that prisoners don’t seek out public services covered by the civil rights law in the way members of the general public do, but “are compelled to be there, and must be content, for the most part, with the services provided.”
In other words, if you’re raped and abused in prison, you just have to deal with it.
More: Michigan Court Says Juveniles Can Be Raped and Abused in Prison