Prisons are not known as bastions of healing energy. One of the challenges faced by prison clinicians in the violent and hypermasculine culture of prison is how to uphold their professional ethics when they witness abuse of prisoners by staff. Psychologists may feel internally conflicted, but they rarely file formal complaints that might jeopardize their careers or even their personal safety.
So a lawsuit brought by a California psychologist against the Department of Corrections for alleged harassment of sexual minority prisoners is both rare and potentially groundbreaking.
It is encouraging to me to see that this news story had been posted here. My inclusion within the lgbtq population as well as being spouse to a rc and being a woman share considerable similarities, in that all three groups are routinely marginalized, discriminated against, and deprived of the human civil liberties provided by our constitution. Hatred, most often borne of fear is the overarching problem facing not only us, but our nation, indeed our world. Discrimination, injustice, and hatred at any and every level it exists, diminishes all of us. I’d love to see suit brought against CDCR as it relates to the rc doing time and the life threatening minefields rc’s traverse while incarcerated. Just thinking….