Woman Prisoner Sent to Solitary for Reporting Rape by Guard

Michelle Ortiz was serving one year at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, a state prison in Marysville, when she was molested by a male guard. A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch describes what happened next:

When Ortiz reported the first assault to prison official Paula Jordan, the official told the inmate that the male guard was being transferred from the facility and was "just a dirty old man." That same evening, the male guard assaulted her again.

Rebecca Bright, another prison official who launched an investigation, ordered Ortiz placed in solitary confinement, where she was handcuffed. Bright reportedly argued that Ortiz was talking about the incident with other inmates.

Other accounts were more specific: In the first assault, Ortiz was "fondled" by the guard, who then told her "I'll get you tomorrow, watch." In the second, which took place after she had appealed for help, the guard returned while Ortiz was asleep and raped her. The assaults took place back in 1996. Subsequently, Ortiz sued both prison officials in federal court for doing nothing to protect her from the guard and punishing her instead. A jury awarded her $625,000 in damages.

But Bright and Jordan appealed the verdict, and the US 6th Circuit Court of Appeals "ruled 2-1 that the prison officials had qualified immunity, shielding them from paying damages" to Ortiz. The third judge, however, issued an outraged dissent.

There's more: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/05/woman-prisoner-sent-solitary-reporting-rape-guard

SCOTUS has agreed to hear arguments in the fall over the appellate court's ruling.

Why do people wonder why prisoners who are released have more problems?

nt

He is a rapist. He deserves nothing less. Were I on his jury, I would ask for the death penalty. I would do so for all rapists convicted. Anyone who feels they can force themselves on someone else deserves to die....period! I have no compassion for criminals, other than maybe those who steal food to survive.

All rapists should die. They have no respect for others, therfore they should receive none whatsoever.

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what's the big deal about a wee prison rape?

THIS IS THE USA!!!

We do whatever we want.

WHENEVER