a brief rant

[ratcreature]

This was triggered by the most recent Criminal Minds episode, but I noticed this in all kinds of shows: I find it really disturbing how on tv shows cops use prison rape as expected threat against suspects and criminals, as if it was condoned in the system as punishment following a crime. That is completely messed up and makes me dislike characters intensely, for being barbaric and inhumane rather than concerned about justice.

While it may not be true in practice, in theory prisoners are supposed to be safe from harm while locked up, no matter their crimes or what kind of scum they are, and not subject to random cruelty or punishment meted out by fellow inmates. That kind of thing, i.e. violence happening among inmates is a sign of a system broken and failing the prisoners that are its responsibility, and hero characters are not supposed to be okay with that.

Comments

[lazar-grrl.livejournal.com]

Caught in a paradoxical agree/disagree here. I most definitely agree that prisoners should not be subject to rape or beatings while in prison. However...I work with abused women and children. And every time I see one of them sobbing, a very nasty part of my soul wants the people who abused them to have the same hell inflicted on them. I find it difficult to care about their human dignity when they act to take away that dignity from someone else.

It's an intellectual/emotional divide that I think a lot of people (including last night's CM character) have. I don't think that she truly wants him to be brutalized in prison. But I do think she wants him to live in the same fear that he subjected those women to. Not exactly defendable, but very understandable.

[ratcreature]

I can see where it was supposed to be emotional and I could have maybe gone with Prentiss having that immediate reaction after seeing that victim and subduing the guy, but all the others in the room just stood by and let her have his emotional rant at the their prisoner when he was already secure? Why didn't step Morgan in saying that it was enough or something? They all seemed to condone this.

[lazar-grrl.livejournal.com]

Why wouldn't they? Having just pulled a terrified victim out, having just attended the funeral of a woman they all knew, murdered by someone like that? At that point, I think it's understandable. Morgan's been molested, Reid and Prentiss have been held captive and tortured; I think they may all have more sympathy for the victim than the victimizer.