Jail Guards Harassed Inmates? Just Call It 'Restorative Justice'
Thirty-eight former inmates are suing Los Angeles County, claiming deputies in women’s jails routinely groped, harassed, and watched them shower. The attorney called it 'heartbreaking.' One might wonder if 'heartbreaking' adequately describes what appears to be a pattern of systemic sexual exploitation within a carceral state, a system funded by billions in taxpayer dollars designed to 'correct'
behavior, not enable it. This isn't an isolated incident, it's a feature. The American judicial system, which touts rehabilitation, often provides environments conducive to abuse. Instead of addressing the root causes of crime or supporting genuine restorative practices, we continue to fund institutions where power imbalances fester into alleged sexual violence, all justified by the comforting lie
of 'public safety.' How many allegations of abuse does it take to admit the system is broken, not just a few bad apples?