Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) : Inmate sexual assault

Review Panel Report on Prison Rape

CC Pro — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:43:00 GMT

The Report on Rape In Federal and State Prisons in the U.S. is now available. This report is based on public hearings and documentary evidence gathered by the Review Panel on Prison Rape in accordance with the Prison Rape Elimination of 2003. Areas examined include the common characteristics of victims and perpetrators of prison rape, common characteristics of victims of staff-on-inmate rape, and common characteristics of prisons and prison systems with high or low prevalence of prison rape.

Juvenile Sexual Violence Data Released

Eileen Conway — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:53:00 GMT

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has released a Special Report, Sexual Violence Reported by Juvenile Correctional Authorities, 2005-06. Of the more than 2,000 allegations of sexual violence reported each year, approximately one in five was substantiated, a rate higher than was found in adult prisons and jails.

Learn online! "Your Role: Responding to Sexual Abuse"

National Institute of Corrections — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:40:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections has just release a new online training program that provides a comprehensive overview of the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). This 2-hour program is designed to increase your awareness of the dynamics of sexual abuse in corrections and teach you how to respond to allegations of sexual abuse.

All staff working in correctional settings are encouraged to take this free interactive course. It's content has special relevance to the institutional environments and addresses issues that have serious legal and public safety issues for staff at all levels.

Registration and Program Details

Click here to begin...

Sexual Victimization in Local Jails Reported by Inmates, 2007

CC Pro — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:13:00 GMT

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has published a report on sexual victimization in local jails. The data for the 2007 National Inmate Survey (NIS) was collected from a sample of 40,419 inmates between April and December, and surveyed 282 local jails.

Highlights:

About 1.6% of inmates (12,100, nationwide) reported an incident involving another inmate, and 2.0% (15,200) reported an incident involving staff.
Inmate-on-inmate victimization occurred most often in the victim's cell (56%); staff-on-inmate victimization occurred in a closet, office, or other locked room (47%).
An estimated 5.1% of female inmates, compared to 2.9% of male inmates, said they had experienced one or more incidents of sexual victimization.

This data was collected as required by the the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (P.L.-108-79).

Sexual Victimization in Correctional Facilities - Free Online Event

CC Pro — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:11:00 GMT

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Innovators Network will be hosting a free online discussion regarding sexual victimization in correctional facilities. An expert panel will address the state of current research and what can be done to reduce and eliminate such events. The date is Feb. 7, 2008, 2PM - 4PM EST. For information on registration, access instructions, participants, and additional resources, please click here.

Sexual Victimization in State and Federal Prisons Reported by Inmates, 2007

CC Pro — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:10:00 GMT

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has compiled data from a sample of 23,398 inmates in 146 State and Federal prisons on the prevalence and incidences of sexual victimization. The data include inmate-on-inmate victimization, as well as staff sexual misconduct.

Protocol for Sexual Assault Examinations

CC Pro — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:42:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women (VAWA) has developed a national protocol for sexual assault medical forensic examinations. This report provides a blueprint that jurisdictions may employ in the development and implementation of strategies specific to the examination process.

Prison Rape Survivors Speak Out

CC Pro — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:01:00 GMT

In Our Experience: Recommendations by Prisoner Rape Survivors to the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission is a publication derived from the first Prisoner Rape Survivor Summit conducted by Stop Prisoner Rape. Participants pointed out the vulnerability of certain individuals (physically and/or mentally disadvantaged; youthful offenders; smaller individuals; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning) and the legal responsibility of the criminal justice system to provide a safe and humane environment. Their recommendations emphasized the importance of classification, housing assignments, staff training, and the role of authorities in preventing and investigating sexual assaults to ensure the fundamental dignity and safety of incarcerated persons.

When is Silence Not Golden?

CC Pro — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:16:00 GMT

With the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, correctional authorities are even more acutely aware of their legal obligation to provide an environment free from sexual violence and harassment. But what if the perpetrator is a correctional employee? Do correctional employees have a "code of silence" that enables and shields these perpetrators? What is the impact on the safety of staff and offenders? How does one define sexual misconduct and/or inappropriate relationships between staff and offenders? What is the obligation of staff aware of such a situation? These questions and more are addressed in the publication: "Breaking the Code of Silence: Correction Officers' Handbook on Identifying and Addressing Sexual Misconduct". This document also examines the legal consequences of a sexual misconduct allegation, the rights of the accused during an investigation, and prevention strategies that aid in reducing these incidents. This document is only available from the web and may be accessed by clicking here.

New Statistics on Sexual Violence

Eileen Conway — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:13:00 GMT

The Bureau of Justice Statistics today released Sexual Violence Reported by Correctional Authorities, 2006, the latest in its series of statistical reports. It provides counts of reported sexual violence, by type, for adult prisons, jails, and other adult correctional facilities. The link above provides access to the full report, along with a summary and highlights.

Investigating Sexual Assaults in Correctional Facilities

Eileen Conway — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:34:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections has released the second bulletin in its series, Staff Perspectives: Sexual Violence in Adult Prisons & Jails. The new bulletin, Investigating Sexual Assaults in Correctional Facilities summarizes the findings of focus group interviews. A total of 332 staff representing local, state, and federal facilities, at executive, line officer, and support levels, were interviewed to gain the staff perspective regarding barriers and opportunities for addressing PREA issues.

Research Report on Sexual Assault in California

Eileen Conway — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:48:00 GMT

In a report submitted to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, researchers from the Center for Evidence-Based Corrections examine the extent of inmate sexual assault, demographic characteristics of victims, and characteristics of reported incidents. An executive summary is also available.