Review Panel on Prison Rape: Report on Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Correctional Facilities, 2010

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) published Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-09 (Jan. 2010). The report, the first of its kind that relied on data from juvenile offenders, surveyed the incidence of sexual victimization in the United States by facility.

Mindful that even one incident of sexual victimization of a youth in custody is unacceptable, the Review Panel on Prison Rape (Panel) found that BJS’ report indicated that violent sexual assault in juvenile facilities was relatively rare and facility staff, for the most part, did not victimize juvenile offenders.

Also in accordance with PREA, the Panel held public hearings in Washington, DC, on June 3-4, 2010, to identify, based on the BJS’ survey of juvenile facilities, the common characteristics of the following: (1) victims and perpetrators, (2) two facilities with the lowest prevalence of sexual victimization, and (3) three facilities with the highest prevalence of sexual victimization. In light of the hearing testimony and other collected data, the Panel is issuing this Report, which offers general observations, identifies common themes, and poses questions for further study.