Fish: A Memoir of a Boy in a Man's Prison

[Joanne98]

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Now a writer and human rights activist, Parsell's mission to end sexual abuse in prisons gets a powerful testament in this memoir. On probation for entering an empty hotel room, and subsequently arrested for attempted robbery of a photo shop (with a toy gun), 17-year-old Parsell finds himself facing up to 15 years in the Michigan prison system. Parsell quickly realizes his vulnerable state as a young, white good-looking inmate surrounded by more experienced prisoners. When a smooth criminal named Chet invites Parsell to drink with him and a few other seasoned inmates, Parsell eagerly accepts. To his dismay, they spike his drink with a heavy sedative and brutally assault him. After the rape, Chet wins a coin toss and just like that, Parsell becomes his personal property. Parsell is quick to point out that inmates are not the only predators in the correctional system; it was his rebuff of a probation officer's advances that would ultimately lead a judge to hand down a four-and-a-half to 15 year sentence. On top of the almost daily assaults, Parsell must come to terms with his homosexuality and his status as a "white boy" in a majority black community. Purcell does not shy from expressing his raw emotions, realizing his brutal experiences in brave, honest language.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description

When seventeen-year-old T.J. Parsell held up the local Photo Mat with a toy gun, he was sentenced to four and a half to fifteen years in prison. The first night of his term, four older inmates drugged Parsell and took turns raping him. When they were through, they flipped a coin to decide who would “own” him. Forced to remain silent about his rape by a convict code among inmates (one in which informers are murdered), Parsell’s experience that first night haunted him throughout the rest of his sentence.

In an effort to silence the guilt and pain of its victims, the issue of prisoner rape is a story that has not been told. For the first time Parsell, one of America’s leading spokespeople for prison reform, shares the story of his coming of age behind bars. He gives voice to countless others who have been exposed to an incarceration system that turns a blind eye to the abuse of the prisoners in its charge. Since life behind bars is so often exploited by television and movie re-enactments, the real story has yet to be told. Fish is the first breakout story to do that.

http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Memoir-Boy-Mans-Prison/dp/0786717939

Did anybody see this on C-span?

[Joanne98]

1. spr.org Mission Statement....

Our Mission

A national 501(c)(3) human rights organization, SPR works to put an end to sexual violence against men, women, and youth in all forms of detention. To achieve this goal, SPR seeks to: engender policies that ensure government accountability for prisoner rape; change ill-informed and flippant public attitudes toward sexual assault behind bars; and promote access to resources for survivors of this type of violence.

Accountability

Although rape behind bars violates international, federal, and state laws, many institutions remain indifferent to the problem. Simple preventative measures are rarely taken, and reports of rape are often ignored. In the worst facilities, victims are repeatedly denied help and even retaliated against while perpetrators act with impunity.

SPR pushes for sound laws and policies that hold detention officials accountable for maintaining safe facilities and respecting basic human rights. By bringing together lawmakers, activists, survivors, and their loved ones, SPR sparks local reform and nationwide change.

Attitudes

Fighting flippant and ill-informed public attitudes about prisoner rape is a constant challenge for SPR. Many people still believe that inmates deserve to be raped. Others think that prisoner rape somehow deters crime, or that prisoner rape is irrelevant to their lives, because it happens behind bars. Some even think that prisoner rape is funny.

Each of these ideas is incorrect - dangerously so - but these misconceptions thrive because the general public knows little about the real story of prisoner rape. To combat this ignorance, SPR offers first-hand accounts of abuse from survivors and informed analysis on the issue's impact on the community. In high-profile media outlets that span the political spectrum, SPR is bringing the true face of prisoner rape to light.

Access

All victims of rape suffer in mind, body, and spirit. Unfortunately, few resources exist to help survivors of prisoner rape, who remain a marginalized and drastically underserved population. As the only organization in the U.S. devoted to this issue, survivors and their loved ones frequently turn to SPR for access to vital information and resources.

SPR's resource materials, written by experts and survivors themselves, help to end the isolation that can be so devastating in the aftermath of abuse. For SPR, promoting access means linking survivors to existing mental health and legal services and reaching out to encourage providers to serve this neglected population.

Please join in SPR's fight to support safety, dignity, and human rights for all.

http://www.spr.org/en/mission_statement.asp

[High Plains]

2. Nobody cares about prisoner rape.

It's the stuff of late night TV talk show humor. That's part of the inexpressible ugliness of life in these United States.

[Joanne98]

4. I know. I'm doing my little part to try and change that...

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. It's often a sick desire on these very boards

Many DUers wish for prison rape for their various villains, and one I've dealt with even desired to watch a prison rape on television. That such people are no better than the rapists they support is obvious enough. That it should be a pretty consistent trend on DU itself is what's sickening and surprising. Anyone who laughs about prison rape is pretty close to the mentality of a rapist. It's that simple.

[AlienAvatar]

28. I'll second what you say.

It's rape and it's a crime. It doesn't seem to bother people much though. It's regarded mostly with snickers and laughs.

I don't get it. Serious crimes being committed, routinely, inside a freaking prison! How, and why, is this possible?

[Joanne98]

3. To donate

Donate to SPR. Support safety, dignity, and human rights for all people.
Your donation will help to ensure that cries for help are answered, that survivors of rape behind bars are given a chance for healing and justice, and that society no longer tolerates rape as part of the punishment doled out in detention.

If you live in the U.S., your donation is tax-deductible.

Our Promise:

SPR is committed to making your donation secure and private.
SPR will not share your contact information with any other party.
SPR accepts donations made by credit card or by check.

Credit Card Donations

You can use your Master Card or Visa card to make a donation on-line. SPR uses Network for Good to ensure that all on-line donations are easy to make and secure.

Click the button below to donate now.


More About Network for Good

Networkforgood.org is a non-profit organization that helps organizations like SPR process donations. Networkforgood.org is a VeriSign secure giving website, which ensures a high standard of internet giving security.
Lists of contributors are private, not shared with or sold to anyone.
Users receive records of contribution for tax purposes.


Donations by Check

Donating by check is as simple as making a check out to Stop Prisoner Rape or SPR and mailing it to:

Stop Prisoner Rape
3325 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 340
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Still have questions about donating?

Learn more about why you should give to SPR.

If you have any questions about making a donation, or any problems donating using this website, please contact SPR's Co-Executive Director, Lovisa Stannow, at [e-mail].

http://www.spr.org/en/donate.asp

[acmavm]

5. Hasn't anyone ever told you people that prisoners don't deserve

to be treated as human beings? That they deserve to be where they are because they're the scum of the earth? :sarcasm:

Seriously, there are a lot of people who call themselves 'liberals' who don't give a damn about the abuse suffered in the prisons. They just think these people get what they deserve.

And then they have the nerve to wonder why the 'rehabilitation' didn't take.

[Joanne98]

6. The road to Abu Ghraib runs through the US prison system....

Torture, secret prisons, wire tapping, it's all because we're allowing this to happen. It's disgraceful and anyone who thinks it's ok must be a DINO!

[MH1]

9. The outrage bucket is overflowing.

I'd like to see all kinds of abuse in prison stopped, but a higher priority for me would be to keep people who don't deserve to be in prison, out of prison in the first place. (That includes most drug offenses for one).

[mitchum]

13. Many of them are anti DP types who don't want "blood on their hands"...

but delight in the idea of "those animals" in prison exacting punishment on a malefactor. It is nothing but sick elitist classism. And I see it time and time again on this board.

[Joanne98]

7. Fighting Flippant Attitudes.......

Fighting Flippant Attitudes:

Building on its extensive media contacts and its solid reputation for thoroughness and accuracy, SPR has been increasingly successful in generating media coverage that discusses prisoner rape for what it is – a crime and a human rights violation. In 2005-2006 alone, the work of SPR and its survivor advocates was covered in scores of media outlets, including the Associated Press, BBC World Service, CNN, The Economist, The New York Times, NPR, Reuters, and USA Today. The work of SPR was also featured extensively in regional and alternative media outlets.

The most powerful and compelling information about prisoner rape comes from survivors. SPR has developed a unique “Survivor Speakers List” consisting of more than 100 brave men and women who have made a commitment to speaking out about the abuses they endured while incarcerated. In doing so, they transform themselves from victims to important human rights advocates. In 2005-2006, dozens of survivor advocates spoke at public events, testified before the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, and shared their stories with journalists nationwide.

SPR also coordinates the “Not Part of the Penalty” listserv, co-sponsored by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch. Through the listserv, SPR disseminates information on the latest developments in the effort to eliminate prisoner rape to more than 1,100 activists, survivors, lawyers, academic experts, public health specialists, and others.

Stories from Inside:

In addition to its ongoing media outreach, SPR is developing a nationwide media campaign, scheduled to be launched in early 2007, which makes clear the causal link between the “war on drugs” and prisoner rape. The campaign will demonstrate that the swelling ranks of non-violent drug offenders in U.S. prisons and jails are among the prime victims of prisoner rape. Stories from Inside is built around a series of first-hand testimonies by such offenders, all of whom have been sexually assaulted while incarcerated.

[MrPrax]

10. One of those involved in SPR...

Stephen Donaldson (aka Donny The Punk) has a story that is a strong antidote to those that think prisoners deserve it. His crime was praying on the Whitehouse lawn.

~~~~

After having been active in gay and student organizing at Columbia University, Donaldson became involved with activism in protests against the Vietnam War. In a 1973 Quaker peace rally at the White House, several demonstrators were arrested by police. Most of those arrested were released on $10 bail, but Donaldson refused to pay out of principle.

On orders from the jailhouse warden, Donaldson was moved into a wing full of hardened criminals. That night, Donaldson was anally and orally raped dozens of times by an estimated 45 African-American males. He had injuries to his rectum so severe that they required surgery, and he had to spend weeks in hospital after the attack. After his recovery, Donaldson called a press conference, and recounted the gang rape to reporters. He was acquitted of all charges.

Donaldson went on to have severe emotional problems, landing back in jail several times, but also taking a number of graduate school classes at Columbia University to study religion. During his subsequent incarcerations, he would 'hook up' with powerful male inmates to keep from being beaten and attacked again; although, he would have to have sex in exchange for this protection. This is where the word "punk" in his nickname comes from. A jail house punk is the term used to refer to the inmates who trade sex for inclusion into a group that ensures their physical safety. An explanation of Donny's theory of being a punk appears as a letter in the book We're All Doing Time by Bo Lozoff.

Donny The Punk wiki

[dsc]

14. This happens often to political protesters especially if they piss off the police

I was in ACT UP and pissed off the police and was put in a cell with hardened criminals. But the police were wearing gloves and all when they put me in and I still had the ACT UP shirt I was wearing. The prisoners thought I had AIDS and I did nothing whatsoever to disabuse them of that notion. I was harassed and beaten but not raped. I would have been in an earlier period. I learned not to piss off cops ever again.

[Joanne98]

30. We need to start convicting wardens........

[Nutmegger]

11. Where are all the sick DUers who support prison rape?

Hmmm? Sick, sick, sick.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Justifying themselves and otherwise spouting outrageous nonsenses

I suspect they do it off-board as well.

[aikoaiko]

15. Whats the answer? Solitary confinement for everyone?

Seriously. Is that the only way?

[fishwax]

16. looking at it as a serious problem instead of a punchline might be a good start

[aikoaiko]

21. I'm no expert, but I've spent some time touring prisons.

Solitary confinement is not that much different from protective custody. Would you prefer that term? Either way, the prisoner has no or almost no contact with other prisoners and deprived of the usual genpop privelages. Fine, lets call it protective custody.

There already is a lot of supervision and surveillance and they get away with so much. I'm not sure how much more infrastructure or correction officers they can get in the prison. I'm just guessing, but given the current effectiveness of supervision, I can't imagine that even doubling the current supervision would be enough.

Anytime you have more than 2 in a cell or freedom of movement by prisoners within units, its really almost impossible to stop prison rape.

What kind or how much supervision are insiders suggesting is needed?

[mondo joe]

24. That would imply that if there is any movement or comingling it's all just the same.

I would think there are different outcomes at different prisons, and some better practices.

[Joanne98]

29. I think the guards and wardens should be charged with rape.

Or accessory to rape. If we passed bill I bet it would stop.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. How about better supervision?

[aikoaiko]

22. See post 21

[mondo joe]

19. Adequate supervision and infrastructure might be a better option, don't you think?

[aikoaiko]

23. see post 21

[MonkeyFunk]

27. There's much that can be done

short of putting everyone in solitary.

How about taking reports of rape seriously? Read the stories on SPR and you'll see that almost all who complained had their complaints ignored by the authorities.

How about separating gay, small or effeminate prisoners from the general population?

How about making a commitment to PROSECUTE rapists - both prisoners and guards alike?

There's a lot that can be done, but first and foremost, the problem must be taken seriously.

[IndyOp]

31. What also can be done - create a context in which prisoners are RESPECTED

Create a context in which prisoners are treated like human beings who we need to join us in improving the world on the outside - who deserve and who can succeed in rehabilitating themselves and making a good life for themselves and their families.

Change our communities so that education and good jobs are available for everyone so that the "undesirables" don't wind up in the prison-industrial complex.

There is so, so, so much wrong with the way we think about crime & punishment.

:(

[tblue37]

25. Also, maybe not arresting people for possessing or smoking

small amounts of marijuana or for peacefully protesting improper government actions. That would reduce the prison population, and recreational pot users and political protesters would not end up in cells with rapists and murderers. Just a thought.

[pitohui]

18. a little surprised i'm first to recommend this discussion

it is a disgrace that a country of this size does not even bother to humanely house its prisoners

[dsc]

20. It is truely sad and amaazing that we permit this kind of crap to go on in our society

On top of all the moral implications, and there are a ton of those, it makes recidivism rates skyrocket as non violent offenders are brutalized and turned into either violent offenders or totally demoralized people who can't function in socieity. We should be deeply ashamed of our prisions.

[Peggy Day]

26. That is why I stay home

I'm also against putting violent and non-violent prisoners together. Wrong Wrong Wrong.