Prison rape cannot be tolerated

Dallas Morning News: Rape is a horrible crime regardless of whether the victim is in prison, a college student on a date or a member of the armed forces.

Yet prison officials often treat inmates as if their crime somehow warrants sexual abuse as additional punishment. For more than 80,000 inmates each year, this attitude has led to hellish rapes, often with attackers - whether guards or inmates - going unpunished.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 was supposed to hold correctional facilities accountable for protecting inmates from sexual predators. However, only New Hampshire and New Jersey have fully complied with its requirements. Texas has been especially hostile to reform: It is one of just eight states to oppose the requirements outright, despite having one of the largest and most victimized prison populations in the nation.

ACCOUNTABILITY NEEDED

Last year, Gov. Rick Perry railed against the law as “unnecessarily cumbersome and costly.” He refused to comply with it, exposing Texas to federal financial penalties.

Gov. Greg Abbott should enact the federal reforms now.

Changing the prison culture in Texas requires the governor’s full-fledged, no-excuses commitment. Prison rape is a crime. Treat it as such and hold its perpetrators accountable.