Prison rape is not funny. Prison rape is endemic in our prisons. From gang rapes in the shower to sexual slavery with inmates coerced into becoming "girlfriends" to more powerful inmates and being sold and traded. Its not only that we just ignore it or tolerate it. We as a society take perverse pleasure in it. We joke about it, laugh about it. We act as though its an acceptable part of punishment for a crime, to be used sexually by other criminals. I've seen a several of these joking comments here, especially recently in reference to Madoff's conviction. This is particularly shocking and disgusting to me on what is mostly a liberal site with mostly liberal bloggers and commenters. Every time someone makes a joke and every time others laugh along you are signaling your approval of this horrid practice. I am all for punishment for crimes committed but that punishment should be metted out by the system, not by inmates on other inmates. And that punishment surely should not include rape. Prison rape is not a joke, its torture. We should have zero tolerance for this practice in our prisons and I have absolutely zero tolerance for jokes about it.