Bolar’s full testimony can be found HERE once the hearing begins.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) today announced that Kelsey Bolar, director of IWF’s newly launched storytelling platform, IW Features, will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the harmful fallout of policies that allow males—including convicted sex offenders—to declare themselves “women” and be housed in female prisons.
The hearing, titled “Sexual Assault in U.S. Prisons Two Decades After the Prison Rape Elimination Act,” will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET on September 25.
Bolar will testify on behalf of incarcerated women who have bravely shared their stories through IW Features’ exclusive documentary series, “Cruel & Unusual Punishment: The Male Takeover of Female Prisons.” In this documentary series, IWF brings voices to light who detail the untold, gruesome story about what’s been happening to female inmates behind closed doors.
Bolar’s testimony will highlight four Cruel & Unusual Punishment stories, including:
- Alissa Kamholz, a female inmate who had to share a cell with a biological man who was affiliated with a group of men who sexually abused her as a young 10-year-old girl;
- Jane Doe, a female inmate who, three days after moving into the same prison cell with a 6’2, 200 lb male, was raped by him in the shower; and
- Channel Johnson, a female inmate who was sexually manipulated by a male with whom she shared a cell and a bunk bed.
- Cathleen Quinn, a female inmate who recently lost her parole after objecting to California’s SB 132 and reporting that a biological man was repeatedly peeping on her while she used the bathroom. Cathleen Quinn’s full story is set to be released on 9/25, ahead of Bolar’s Senate testimony, and can be watched here.
This hearing comes on the heels of the Senate Judiciary Committee opposing President Biden’s judicial nominee Sarah Netburn, who, as a magistrate judge, recommended a male convicted of multiple rape and child molestation charges be housed in a federal women’s prison. IWF issued letters to the committee — including from several female inmates — and announced opposition to the nomination of Judge Sarah Netburn, further exposing the anti-women policies and practices advanced by Netburn.
In her testimony, Bolar will thank the Committee for doing the right thing and standing with women in their rejection of Netburn and urge Senators to continue fighting for the rights of incarcerated women who feel silenced and abandoned at the hands of anti-women policies.
Bolar writes in her testimony, in part:
“Until all female inmates are protected, Independent Women’s Forum will continue advocating for them and telling their stories so that ALL Americans understand the inhumanity in locking women with histories of domestic violence and sexual abuse into rooms with convicted male rapists, pedophiles, and murderers at night….This is not a left or a right issue. It’s a human issue. Incarcerated women need and deserve female-only spaces. Anything less is a violation of their dignity and most basic human rights.”
The IW Features storytelling platform brings powerful first-hand testimonies to the forefront and connects the dots to explain how public policy impacts Americans and their loved ones. By sharing these accounts, IW Features, led by Bolar, will continue to seek to positively influence public policy and foster more civil, compassionate, and productive debates.
Details:
WHAT: Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism hearing, “Sexual Assault in U.S. Prisons Two Decades After the Prison Rape Elimination Act”
WHEN: Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. ET
WHERE: Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226
Media inquiries: [email protected]
IW FEATURES “CRUEL & UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT” SERIES BACKGROUND:
As more states allow men who identify as women into women’s prisons, few are aware of the harmful fallout. Women with histories of trauma and domestic abuse are forced to share their most private and intimate spaces with intact males—many of whom are violent, sexual predators serving time for heinous crimes.
Allowing male offenders to reside in women’s prisons is dangerous and unfair. Put simply, it’s cruel and unusual punishment. These stories stand as a testament to why biological sex matters, especially in institutional settings. Incarcerated women need and deserve female-only spaces. Anything less is a violation of their most basic human rights.
The eradication of single-sex prisons is harming female inmates. As more and more prison systems allow males to declare themselves “women” and opt to be housed in facilities meant for females, the voices of those most affected deserve to be heard.
Watch the “Cruel & Unusual Punishment” series HERE.
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Independent Women’s Forum is dedicated to developing and advancing policies that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities.
Through grassroots storytelling and original journalism, IW Features provides unique and personal insight into the biggest issues facing Americans today.