Prison rape has long been the stuff of weak situation comedy jokes, with sexual assault among the incarcerated either dismissed with offhand homophobia, or treated as if being raped is part of a prisoner’s sentence and somehow deserved. It’s not. Of particular note is the high incidence of sexual assault committed against LGBT inmates. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.

My guest on the podcast this week is Lenny Gallo, MSW, LMSW. Lenny has firsthand experience working with incarcerated victims of sexual assault. We talk about Lenny’s career choices, his internship at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, and his paper on the subject that was recently published by Fordham University as part of their 21st Century Social Justice repository (you can find the PDF HERE).

About Lenny:

Lenny Gallo, MSW, LMSW, is a graduate of Fordham University and a licensed social worker in New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. He spent his advanced year placement at The Bergen County Jail, where he received firsthand exposure to the social injustices facing America’s incarcerated population. In addition to social work, Lenny is a licensed massage therapist; an actor—who has appeared off-Broadway; and an artist, whose works have been featured in the Chicago Museum of Modern Art, Paris, and London.