Brenda V. Smith | |
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Nationality | American |
Occupation | Professor of Law |
Academic background | |
Education |
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Academic work | |
Discipline | Legal scholar |
Main interests | Prisoners' rights,criminal law,civil rights,constitutional law,housing law |
Brenda V. Smith is a law professor at American University's Washington College of Law. [1] She served on the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. [2]
She graduated magna cum laude from Spelman College in 1980 and from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984. [3]
She is the co-director of the Community and Economic Development Law Clinic. Smith is also the Project Director for the United States Department of Justice,National Institute of Corrections Cooperative Agreement for the Project on Addressing Prison Rape. [4] From 2004 to 2009 she served on the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. [2] [5] Smith was appointed to the Prison Rape commission by current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. [3] In 1993,Smith was awarded the Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship and,in 1998,inducted into the D.C. Women's Hall of Fame for her work on behalf of low-income women and children. [6]
Smith's writing focuses on the intersections of gender,crime and sexuality. She received the Emmalee C. Godsey Research Award for her scholarship.[ citation needed ] Her publications include Battering,Forgiveness and Redemption; [7] Rethinking Prison Sex:Self -Expression and Safety,Symposium on Sexuality and the Law; [8] Sexual Abuse of Women in Prison:A Modern Corollary of Slavery; [9] Uncomfortable Places,Close Spaces:Theorizing Female Correctional Officers' Sexual Interactions with Men and Boys in Custody; [10] and Boys,Rape and Masculinity,Reclaiming Male Narrative of Sexual Violence in Custody. [11]
Prison sexuality consists of sexual relationships between prisoners or between a prisoner and a prison employee or other persons to whom prisoners have access. Since prisons are usually separated by sex,most sexual activity is with a same-sex partner. Exceptions to this include sex with spouses/partners during conjugal visits and sex with a prison employee of the opposite sex.
Some victims of rape or other sexual violence incidents are male. Historically,rape was thought to be,and defined as,a crime committed solely against females. This belief is still held in some parts of the world,but rape of males is now commonly criminalized and has been subject to more discussion than in the past.
The men's rights movement (MRM) is a branch of the men's movement. The MRM in particular consists of a variety of groups and individuals who focus on general social issues and specific government services which they say adversely impact,or in some cases,structurally discriminate against,men and boys. Common topics discussed within the men's rights movement include family law,reproduction,suicides,domestic violence against men,false accusations of rape,circumcision,education,conscription,social safety nets,and health policies. The men's rights movement branched off from the men's liberation movement in the early 1970s,with both groups comprising a part of the larger men's movement.
Sex-positive feminism,also known as pro-sex feminism,sex-radical feminism,or sexually liberal feminism,is a feminist movement centering on the idea that sexual freedom is an essential component of women's freedom. They oppose legal or social efforts to control sexual activities between consenting adults,whether they are initiated by the government,other feminists,opponents of feminism,or any other institution. They embrace sexual minority groups,endorsing the value of coalition-building with marginalized groups. Sex-positive feminism is connected with the sex-positive movement. Sex-positive feminism brings together anti-censorship activists,LGBT activists,feminist scholars,producers of pornography and erotica,among others. Sex-positive feminists believe that prostitution can be a positive experience if workers are treated with respect,and agree that sex work should not be criminalized.
Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted sexual act—or attempt to obtain a sexual act through violence or coercion—or an act directed against a person's sexuality without their consent,by any individual regardless of their relationship to the victim. This includes forced engagement in sexual acts,attempted or completed,and may be physical,psychological,or verbal. It occurs in times of peace and armed conflict situations,is widespread,and is considered to be one of the most traumatic,pervasive,and most common human rights violations.
Prison rape commonly refers to the rape of inmates in prison by other inmates or prison staff. In 2001,Human Rights Watch estimated that at least 4.3 million inmates had been raped while incarcerated in the United States. A United States Department of Justice report,Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates,states that "In 2011–12,an estimated 4.0% of state and federal prison inmates and 3.2% of jail inmates reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another inmate or facility staff in the past 12 months or since admission to the facility,if less than 12 months." However,advocates dispute the accuracy of the numbers,saying they seem to under-report the real numbers of sexual assaults in prison,especially among juveniles.
The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) is the first United States federal law intended to deter the sexual assault of prisoners. The bill was signed into law on September 4,2003.
Pro-feminism refers to support of the cause of feminism without implying that the supporter is a member of the feminist movement. The term is most often used in reference to men who actively support feminism and its efforts to bring about the political,economic,cultural,personal,and social equality of women with men. A number of pro-feminist men are involved in political activism,most often in the areas of gender equality,women's rights,and ending violence against women.
Men's studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning men,masculinity,gender,culture,politics and sexuality. It academically examines what it means to be a man in contemporary society.
Sociology of gender is a subfield of sociology. As one of the most important social structures is status. One of the most important statuses an individual claims is gender. Public discourse and the academic literature generally use the term gender for the perceived or projected (self-identified) masculinity or femininity of a person.
In gender studies,hegemonic masculinity is part of R. W. Connell's gender order theory,which recognizes multiple masculinities that vary across time,society,culture,and the individual. Hegemonic masculinity is defined as a practice that legitimizes men's dominant position in society and justifies the subordination of the common male population and women,and other marginalized ways of being a man. Conceptually,hegemonic masculinity proposes to explain how and why men maintain dominant social roles over women,and other gender identities,which are perceived as "feminine" in a given society.
We Real Cool:Black Men and Masculinity is a 2004 book about masculinity by feminist author bell hooks. It collects ten essays on black men. The title alludes to Gwendolyn Brooks' 1959 poem "We Real Cool". The essays are intended to provide cultural criticism and solutions to the problems she identifies.
The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC) was a U.S. bipartisan panel established by the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act. The commission was charged with studying sexual assaults in U.S. jails and prisons and presenting a report based on its findings.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people face difficulties in prison such as increased vulnerability to sexual assault,other kinds of violence,and trouble accessing necessary medical care. While much of the available data on LGBTQ inmates comes from the United States,Amnesty International maintains records of known incidents internationally in which LGBTQ prisoners and those perceived to be lesbian,gay,bisexual or transgender have suffered torture,ill-treatment and violence at the hands of fellow inmates as well as prison officials.
Prison rape or jail rape is sexual assault of people while they are incarcerated. The phrase is commonly used to describe rape of inmates by other inmates,or to describe rape of inmates by staff. It is a significant,if controversial,part of what is studied under the wider concept of prison sexuality.
The rate of sexual violence in South Africa is among the highest recorded in the world. Police statistics of reported rapes as a per capita figure has been dropping in recent years,although the reasons for the drop has not been analysed and it is not known how many rapes go unreported. More women are attacked than men,and children have also been targeted,partly owing to a myth that having sex with a virgin will cure a man of HIV/AIDS. Rape victims are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS owing to the high prevalence of the disease in South Africa. "Corrective rape" is also perpetrated against LGBT men and women.
Feminist views on sexuality widely vary. Many feminists,particularly radical feminists,are highly critical of what they see as sexual objectification and sexual exploitation in the media and society. Radical feminists are often opposed to the sex industry,including opposition to prostitution and pornography. Other feminists define themselves as sex-positive feminists and believe that a wide variety of expressions of female sexuality can be empowering to women when they are freely chosen. Some feminists support efforts to reform the sex industry to become less sexist,such as the feminist pornography movement.
Violence against men are violent acts that are disproportionately or exclusively committed against men or boys. Men are over-represented as both victims and perpetrators of violence.
Women have served as prison and correctional officers since the early 19th century in London. The focus of research on female correctional officers has mostly been comparatively discussing the male officers' experience versus the female officer's experience. A number of studies are extensions of interviews or surveys solely of corrections staff and commonly emphasize employment opportunities and working conditions with an inclusion of legal and social obstacles,such as differing types of discrimination,that female officers face on a regular basis,in their respective field. Increased interest in the distinction of gender for workers in correctional facilities has some relevance to the shift in this occupation being predominantly male-dominated to,in some cases,being more female-dominated. The increase in the number of females working in this field is mainly due to helping alleviate staff shortages and providing women seeking employment with more opportunities to work in the correctional system.
The concept of toxic masculinity is used in academic and media discussions to refer to those aspects of hegemonic masculinity that are socially destructive,such as misogyny,homophobia,and violent domination. These traits are considered "toxic" due in part to their promotion of violence,including sexual assault and domestic violence. Socialization of boys sometimes also normalizes violence,such as in the saying "boys will be boys" about bullying and aggression.