[ZenGum]

IMHO, the issue in Merc's lnik is just the tip of the iceberg.
Doesn't your bill of rights say that you have the right to be kept safe from harm while in the custody of the state?
Doesn't that mean that every single time someone is assaulted or raped or even exposed to disease while in prison, their civil rights have been violated? And the relevant authorities are criminally responsible for it, a la the Rodney King beat-down?

As you were. [/rant]