FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
Sept.2,2016 SETTLEMENTREACHEDINLAWSUITALLEGING
ILLINOISPRISONOFFICIALSRETALIATED
AGAINSTVICTIMOFPRISONRAPE
$450,000settlementbelievedtobeamongthelargest
forprisonretaliationcase
SPRINGFIELD,IL–TheIllinoisDepartmentofCorrections(IDOC)
hasagreedtopay$450,000toamanpunishedandhumiliatedby
prisonofficialsafterhereportedhisLoganCorrectionalCenter
cellmatehadsexuallyandphysicallyassaultedhim.
TheJamesFontanov.Godinezsettlement,whichwasannounced
Friday,isbelievedtobeamongthelargestpaymentsmadefora
prisonretaliationcase.Fontanowasrepresentedbyattorneysfrom
theRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenterandtheUptown
People’sLawCenter.
"Whetherinprison,intheCatholicchurch,inaschooloranywhere
else,anypersonwhoreportsasexualassaultdeservestobetreated
withconcernandrespect,”saidLockeE.Bowman,Executive
DirectoroftheMacArthurJusticeCenter.“Thoseinchargemust
investigatetheallegationsfairlyandaggressively.Sexualpredators
mustbebroughttojustice.
"TheresponseofprisonofficialstoJamesFontanointhiscaseisa
modelofwhatnottodo,”Bowmansaid.“Insteadofconcern,James
wasmetwithderisionanddisbelief.Theinvestigationwasdesigned
tocoveruptherape,nottoholdtheperpetratoraccountable.We
needtoask:JusthowprevalentisrapewithinIllinois'prisons?"
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Sept.2,2016
Fontano,whowasimprisonedinIDOCforeightmonthsonaminordrugoffense,servedthe
majorityofhissentenceattheLoganCorrectionalCenterinLincoln.
Fontanowascelledwithanolder,physicallylargerandstrongerprisonerservingalengthy
sentenceforarmedrobbery.InAugust2011,shortlybeforeFontano’sscheduledrelease
date,Fontano'scellmaterepeatedlyrapedFontanooverthecourseoftwonightswhilehe
andFontanowerelockedtogetherinthecelltheyshared.
Fearingthattheassaultswouldescalateandwithnowhereelsetoturn,Fontanoreported
theassaultstoprisonauthorities.AlthoughFontano'sreportwasdetailed,graphicand
credible,prisonofficialsrespondedbypunishingFontano,nothisassailant.Fontanowas
forcedtospendtherestofhisprisonsentenceinsegregation,purportedlybecausehehad
liedaboutbeingraped.
Eventually,Fontano'sreportwascorroboratedbyafindingthathiscellmate'sDNAwas
presentontherearinsidepanelofFontano'sunderwear.Evenwiththisinformation,
prisonofficialsrefusedtorescindFontano'spunishment.
FontanosuedAlexDawson,theformerwardenofLoganCorrectionalCenter,andKevin
Standley,theIDOCinvestigatorwhorecommendedthatFontanobedisciplined.Thesuit,
filedinthefederalcourtinSpringfield,claimedthatDawsonandStandleyretaliated
againstFontanoforexercisinghisFirstAmendmentrighttoreporttherape.
“Meninprisonlearnquicklytherearetwothingsyoudon’twanttobeknownfor,”said
AlanMills,ExecutiveDirectoroftheUptownPeople’sLawCenter.“First,ifotherprisoners
believeyouareasnitch,youareindangerofbeingbeaten,stabbedandworse.Second,if
youareviewedasaweaklingandeasymarktobeusedforsexbyanotherman,youwill
alwaysbeindangerofasexualassault.Thosearethereasons–fearofbeingknownasa
snitchandweakling–Jamesenduredtwosexualandphysicalassaultsanddecidedtoseek
helpwhenhecouldbreakawayduringthethirdattack.”
“ImmediatelyafterJamesreportedtherapes,prisonofficialspunishedJames,threatened
himwithextratimeinprisonandpushedhimtowithdrawhisreport,”saidSheilaBedi,an
attorneywiththeMacArthurJusticeCenter.“Enduringthiskindofpunishmentfor
reportinghisrapecameatagreatcosttoJames.
“ThissettlementshouldservetomotivateIDOCtochangeitspractices,”Bediadded.“IDOC
needstodoallitcantoendsexualassaultbehindbars,toprotectthemenandwomen
lockedinstateprisons,andtoencouragevictimstoreportsexualassaults.”
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Sept.2,2016
AbouttheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenter
TheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenteradvocatesforhumanrightsandsocial
justicethroughlitigation.Asoneofthenation'spremiercivilrightsorganizations,the
MacArthurJusticeCenterhasplayedaprominentroleinbringingChicagopolice
misconductandtorturetothepublic'sattentionandhashelpedwrongfullyconvictedmen
andwomenwinmulti-milliondollarverdictsandsettlementsascompensationforthetime
theyspentinprison.
Foradditionalinformation,visit
http://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/macarthur/
AbouttheUptownPeople’sLawCenter(UPLC)
UPLCisanonprofitlegalservicesorganizationspecializinginprisoners'rights,Social
Securitydisability,andtenants'rightsandevictiondefense.UPLCcurrentlyhasnine
pendingclassactionlawsuitsagainsttheIllinoisDepartmentofCorrections.
Foradditionalinformation,visitwww.uplcchicago.org
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