Gay teens face violence behind bars

Gay teens are sent to prison in disproportionate numbers and face violence and discrimination inside, according to a report in The Nation. Attorney Daniel Redman, from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, writes about antigay policies across the country.  He says gay kids are twice as likely as straight kids to land in prison for nonviolent offenses such as truancy, running away and prostitution, and they face hostility from peers and prison guards.  One teen serving time in Louisiana told researchers, “I was scared to sleep at night because I didn’t know if I was going to wake up in the morning.”

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