Does Size Matter?
May 25, 2006
As you likely know, a Nebraska judge reportedly refused to sentence a short man to prison, reasoning that the short man would be especially vulnerable to prison abuse. As someone who is both "tough on crime" when it comes to child-molestation prison sentences, and yet thinks prison rape is one of the greatest injustices of our time, I'm not sure what to think.
Putting aside issues of fairness, the judge must be pretty ignorant of prison life. Even someone incredibly strong would be in trouble if five guys climbed on top of him in a confined space. (Consider the gang-rape scene from "American History X.") So a taller man is not that much better off than the short fellow. No matter how big and strong you are, prison rape is a reality of life child molesters will deal with. So I don't think the judge's reasoning is sound. Channeling Bushwick Bill, when it comes to prison, size ain't sh*t.
UPDATE: KipEsquire has some thoughts here.