Noting that the governor is not responsible for certifying facilities which aren't under his operational control, and that it's "not true" that “governors must certify their state’s compliance 'under threat of criminal penalties,'” DePrang had a sense, as I did, that, "The further you get into the letter’s nitty-gritty, the stranger Perry’s defiance seems." Part of the reason I've followed this story so closely (besides the fact that this blog broke it), is that there's something I don't understand going on, some unknown adviser, perhaps, who has influenced the governor. While regrettable, I tend to think non-compliance with PREA will eventually take care of itself at the federal courthouse. It's the inexplicable backstory to Perry's decision that keeps nagging at me.
MORE: From Off the Kuff.
See related Grits posts:
- PREA deadline passes: Perry tells Holder Texas won't comply
- More on Texas' PREA compliance
- Potential civil liability for failing to comply with Prison Rape Elimination Act
- Radio news questions Perry PREA stance in light of consultant's report
- Consultant: TDCJ 'receptive' to prison rape recommendations, 'confident' proposed solutions were 'reasonable and viable'
- Who is advising Rick Perry on prison rape?
- Perry: Texas won't comply with federal Prison Rape Elimination Act
Lame decisions from lame ducks is to expected but this act of defiance is just one of the many elitist methods utilized to thumb one's nose at directives to do the right thing.
ReplyDeleteNote: To the rest of the USA,
Please don't assume that every Texan is a Republican and that we all stand up and applaud when one of them defies the federal government. Bush & Perry have run this state the way the wealthy paid them to and for that, we can only point to the ones that actually voted for them as being responsible. Perry is bought and paid for and his actions are his & his party's alone.
And as far as Idaho, Indiana, Utah & Arizona going along with Perry's Plan, that's to be expected. The only way to get rid of the stench of corruption is to vote them out. Sadly, the only other options is a D. and we all know that both Rs. & Ds. have histories of corruption.
PS When Perry is flung out of Austin, we fully expect one of the four states mentioned above to take him in. We've had enough with the corrupt politicians running our state into the ground.
Considering that both females & males rape inmates. I wonder why we haven't seen or heard from the females of Texas (USA female citizens alike) on this issue to the point of protesting, petitioning and taking to the airwaves in mass shaming Texas?
ReplyDeleteIf they spoke up it must have been in whispers. (Link to the one's that spoke out and they will be commended.) With women being the mothers, wives & daughters of the male prisoners and being the mother, sisters & daughters of the female prisoners, they should be out in full force.
When Perry decided this, his actions affected both women's & men's prisons and everyone knows that if the women got together and descended onto Austin (in person, email, phone, petitions) Perry would crumble.
So, please get it together women of Texas and show the rest of us how to force the corrupt to do the right thing or show them the door once you get inside a voting booth. The men of Texas have shown us that they can't be politicians without being in someone's pocket's.
Prison rape is just like any other rape and should be classed as a capital crime and be punished with capital punishment
ReplyDelete