Geneva - The UN investigator of violence against women yesterday said sexual misconduct against female prisoners was prevalent in the United States and called for reforms.
Ms Radhika Coomaraswamy, a Sri Lankan lawyer in the independent post, urged US correctional facilities to also stop using chains or leg irons to restrain women inmates, calling it a "cruel and unusual practice" which violated international standards. She particularly criticised alleged abuses in the state of Michigan, where she was denied access to prison facilities.