A report of sexual victimization of former state prisoners based on findings from the first-ever National Former Prisoners Survey (NFPS), a part of BJS's National Prison Rape Statistics Program which has collected corrections administrative records of reported sexual violence or allegations of sexual victimization directly from victims since 2004. The NFPS is representative of 510,800 former state prisoners who were under active parole supervision at midyear 2008. The victimization rate is more than double the 4.4 percent victimization rate reported in the most recent BJS National Inmate Survey of confined state and federal inmates. Among former state prisoners, the rate of inmate-on-inmate sexual victimization was at least three times higher for females than males.
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Examines 2007 and 2008 data from the Survey of Sexual Violence (SSV). Conducted since 2004, the SSV is an annual collection of official records on incidents of inmate-on-inmate and staff-on-inmate sexual victimization. This report presents counts of nonconsensual sexual acts, abusive sexual contacts, staff sexual misconduct, and staff sexual harassment reported to correctional authorities in adult prisons, jails, and other adult correctional facilities. Appendix tables include counts of sexual victimization, by type, for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, all state systems, and surveyed jail jurisdictions. An in-depth examination of substantiated incidents is also presented, covering the number and characteristics of victims and perpetrators, location, time of day, nature of the injuries, impact on the victims, and sanctions imposed on the perpetrators. Highlights include the following: correctional administrators reported 7,444 allegations of sexual victimization in 2008 and 7,374 allegations in 2007; about 54% of substantiated incidents of sexual victimization involved only inmates, while 46% of substantiated incidents involved staff with inmates; and female inmates were disproportionately victimized by both other inmates and staff in federal and state prisons, as well as local jails.
Results from the second National Inmate Survey (NIS-2) documenting inmate sexual assault are presented. The NIS-2 “is part of the National Prison Rape Statistics Program, which collects administrative records of reported sexual violence, and allegations of sexual victimization directly from victims, through surveys of adult inmates in prisons and jails and surveys of youth held in juvenile correctional facilities” (p.6). Sections of this report include highlights; incidents of sexual victimization; facility level rates; demographic characteristics; sexual history and orientation; criminal justice status; predicted victimization rates; inmate-on-inmate victimization; staff sexual misconduct; and survey items from the National Inmate Survey, 2008-09 related to inmate-on-inmate sexual victimization, staff sexual victimization, and follow-up questions to inmates reporting no sexual activity. The rate of sexual victimization in prisons is 4.4% and 3.1% in jails over a 12-month period.
The present study developed and contrasted predictive models of male nonphysical sexual coercion (e.g., verbal pressure or manipulation) and physical sexual aggression (e.g., incapacitation, physical force, or threats) using a sample of 369 incarcerated males to identify shared and unique risk factors for each form of sexual perpetration. Results revealed a set of shared risk characteristics that predisposed individuals to both sexual coercion and aggression (i.e., belief in rape myths, sexual promiscuity, aggressive tendencies, and empathic deficits).
This study estimated the rates of sexual victimization among prison inmates with and without a mental disorder. Methods: The study sampled inmates aged 18 or older in 13 prisons within a single mid-Atlantic state prison system (12 facilities for men and one for women). A total of 7,528 inmates completed the survey instrument, which was administered by audio-computer-assisted technology. Of the 6,964 male respondents, 58.5% were African American, 16.2% were non-Hispanic white, 19.8% were Hispanic, and 5.5% were of another race or ethnicity. Of the 564 female respondents, 48.4% were African American, 30.9% were non-Hispanic white, 14.4% were Hispanic, and 7.3% were of another race or ethnicity. Mental disorder was based on self-reported previous mental health treatment for particular mental disorders. Sexual victimization was measured by using questions adapted from the National Violence against Women and Men surveys. Results: Approximately one in 12 male inmates with a mental disorder reported at least one incident of sexual victimization by another inmate over a six-month period, compared with one in 33 male inmates without a mental disorder. Among those with a mental disorder, sexual victimization was three times as high among female inmates (23.4%) as among male inmates (8.3%). African-American and Hispanic inmates with a mental disorder, independent of gender, reported higher rates of sexual victimization than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Conclusions: Prisons are hazardous places. Steps must be taken to protect inmates from predators inside prison, to screen them for posttraumatic stress disorder, to provide trauma-related treatment, and to keep them safe.
Presents data from the 2008-09 National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC), conducted in 195 juvenile confinement facilities between June 2008 and April 2009, with a sample of over 9,000 adjudicated youth. The report provides national-level and facility-level estimates of sexual victimization by type of activity, including youth-on-youth sexual contact, staff sexual misconduct, and level of coercion. It also includes an analysis of the experience of sexual victimization, characteristics of youth most at risk to victimization, where the incidents occur, time of day, characteristics of perpetrators, and nature of the injuries. Finally, it includes estimates of the sampling error for selected measures of sexual victimization and summary characteristics of victims and incidents. The report and appendix tables provide a listing of results for sampled state and large locally or privately operated facilities, as required under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-79). Facilities are listed alphabetically by state with estimated prevalence rates of sexual victimization as reported by youths during a personal interview and based on activity in the 12 months prior to the interview or since admission to the facility, if shorter.
Description: "Information regarding state laws that prohibit sexual abuse of offenders is presented. Data provided (if available) includes: statutes; coverage of all forms of sexual misconduct; agency coverage related to secure confinement facilities, community corrections, juvenile, and private; personnel coverage related to correctional employees, volunteers, juvenile workers, and contractors; defenses; and penalties”
This report fulfills the requirement under the Prison Rape Elimination Act for the collection and reporting of data in juvenile facilities. It details the results from the first-ever national survey of administrative records on sexual violence in adult and juvenile correctional facilities.
This report fulfills the requirement under the Prison Rape Elimination Act to provide a list of local jails according to the prevalence of sexual victimization. It presents findings for the 282 local jails in the National Inmate Survey. The survey on sexual victimization, conducted by RTI International, was administered to 40,419 jail inmates between April and December 2007.
This report provides a listing of state and federal prisons ranked according to the incidence of prison rape according to the National Inmate Survey of 146 State and Federal Prisons completed by BJS.
This report fulfills the requirement under the Prison Rape Elimination Act for submission of an annual report on the activities of Bureau of Justice Statistics with respect to prison rape. It is based on surveys completed between January 1 and June 30, 2007, of administrative records in adult correctional facilities covering the calendar year of 2006.
The U.S. population of former prison inmates is large and growing. The period immediately after release may be challenging for former inmates and may involve substantial health risks. We studied the risk of death among former inmates soon after their release from Washington State prisons.
This entry includes documents from a conference that presented information for the National Inmate Survey (NIS): Tab 1 is the Table of Contents; Tab 2 gives an overview of the year one of the NIS, including a Sampling Plan for selection of facilities; Tab 3 outlines the 2007 NIS Facility Sample Characteristics; Tab 4 shows a copy of the Consent to Participate in Research; and Tab 5 is a summary of the Latent Class Analysis on sexual assault for the NIS Pilot.
On September 4, 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-79). The legislation requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to develop a new national data collection on the incidence and prevalence of sexual assault within correctional facilities. This report updates Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, dated February 5, 2004.
This report fulfills the requirement under the Prison Rape Elimination Act for submission of an annual report on the activities of Bureau of Justice Statistics with respect to prison rape. The administrative survey provides the basis for the annual statistic review. Covers the calendar year of 2004.