Patterns of Victimization and Feelings of Safety Inside Prison: The Experience of Male and Female Inmates (original) (raw)

Sexual Violence Inside Prisons: Rates of Victimization

Journal of Urban Health, 2006

People in prison are exposed to and experience sexual violence inside prisons, further exposing them to communicable diseases and trauma. The consequences of sexual violence follow the individual into the community upon release. This paper estimates the prevalence of sexual victimization within a state prison system. A total of 6,964 men and 564 women participated in a survey administered using audio-CASI. Weighted estimates of prevalence were constructed by gender and facility size. Rates of sexual victimization varied significantly by gender, age, perpetrator, question wording, and facility. Rates of inmate-on-inmate sexual victimization in the previous 6 months were highest for female inmates (212 per 1,000), more than four times higher than male rates (43 per 1,000). Abusive sexual conduct was more likely between inmates and between staff and inmates than nonconsensual sexual acts. Sexual violence inside prison is an urgent public health issue needing targeted interventions to prevent and ameliorate its health and social consequences, which spatially concentrate in poor inner-city areas where these individuals ultimately return.

Patterns of Victimization Among Male and Female Inmates: Evidence of an Enduring Legacy

Violence and Victims, 2009

People inside prison have above-average rates of childhood and adult victimization. Little is known, however, about the relationship between types of victimization inside prison and that experienced in childhood. This article estimates rates of victimization for male and female inmates by type of perpetrator and form of victimization (sexual, physical, either, or both) and their association with types of childhood victimization (sexual or physical). Data for these estimates are based on a random sample of approximately 7,500 inmates housed in 12 adult male prisons and one adult female prison in a single state. The significance of the findings for practice are discussed along with recommendations to improve the health and welfare of people inside prison.

The sexual assault of male victims in incarcerated settings.

International Journal of the Sociology of Law, 1992

Annotation This article examines the incidence of inmate sexual assault in U.S. prisons, victim trauma, and strategies of prevention and intervention. Abstract Although there are no precise, objective data on the incidence of sexual assault in U.S. prisons, anecdotal and suggestive data indicate that it is a serious problem of inmate security and safety. The inmate victims of such assault experience humiliation, degradation, and possible re-victimization. Sexual assaults contribute to violence in prison and diminish the chances of inmate rehabilitation. Victims of sexual assault in prison often return to the community embittered and enraged, thus prone to the commission of more criminal offenses. To address this problem, local/State/Federal correctional officials should scientifically determine the incidence of prison sexual violence and establish a crisis intervention protocol for inmate victims in accordance with the Cotton and Groth (1984) model. Preventive and intervention steps should include relevant training and attitudinal development for correctional staff, long-term strategies for inmate victims, mandated reporting of any incident of sexual assault, and a more efficient response in the prosecution of such offenses. 87 references. Dumond, R.W. (1992). The sexual assault of male inmates in incarcerated settings. International Journal of the Sociology of Law, 20 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1992) Pages: 135-157. NCJ139657

Staff Perceptions of Risk for Prison Rape Perpetration and Victimization

The Prison Journal, 2012

Since the inception of the Prison Rape Elimination Act in 2003, increased attention has been directed toward identifying and eliminating acts of institutional sexual violence. However, few empirical studies have systematically explored risk factors that staff perceive as important when ascertaining risk for prison sexual perpetration and victimization. This study examined ratings from 10 staff for 315 female and 1,842 male inmates screened for admission to correctional facilities in a Midwestern state. Overall, findings indicate that a low proportion of inmates were rated medium–high risk for either perpetration or victimization. In addition, results suggest that staff perceived risk factors for sexual violence somewhat differently for female and male inmates. Furthermore, data revealed that staff considered presentation characteristics more relevant than empirically derived risk factors when determining vulnerability to prison rape. Implications for institutional policy and prison ...

Contextualization of physical and sexual assault in male prisons: incidents and their aftermath

Journal of correctional health care : the official journal of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 2009

Physical and sexual assault are part of the prison experience. Approximately 21% of male inmates are physically assaulted during a 6-month period. Sexual assault is estimated at between 2% and 5%. Although prevalence evidence is growing, less is known about circumstances surrounding and resulting from these incidents. This article presents an analysis of approximately 2,200 physical and 200 sexual victimizations reported by a random sample of 6,964 male inmates. Physical injury occurred in 40% of physical assaults and 70% of sexual assaults between inmates and in 50% of assaults perpetrated by staff. Emotional reactions to assaults were experienced by virtually all victims. Context information is vital in the development and implementation of prevention and therapeutic interventions.

Sexual Victimization Reported by Former State Prisoners, 2008

PsycEXTRA Dataset

Incidents of sexual victimization 8 Type of coercion and physical injury 12 Circumstances surrounding victimization 14 Variations by sex of former inmates 15 Variations by other individual-level characteristics 16 Variations by selected facility-level characteristics 20 Prison placements and individual-level risk factors 25 Reporting of sexual victimization 30 Post-release responses to victimization 32 HIV testing and results 33 Methodology 35 Appendix A 40 Appendix B 41 Appendix C 43 Appendix D 44 Appendix E 45 Highlights Prevalence of sexual victimization An estimated 9 6% of former state prisoners reported one or more incidents of sexual victimization during the most recent period of incarceration in jail, prison, and postrelease community-treatment facility Among all former state prisoners, 1 8% reported experiencing one or more incidents while in a local jail, 7 5% while in a state prison, and 0 1% while in a postrelease community-treatment facility List of appendix tables Appendix table 1. Standard errors for table 4: Type of coercion and physical injury of former state prisoners who reported sexual victimization, by type of incident 46 Appendix table 2. Standard errors for table 5: Circumstances surrounding sexual victimization of former state prisoners, by type of incident 47 Appendix table 3. Wald-F statistics for former prisoner characteristics in the final multivariate logistic regression models of sexual victimization, by type of incident 48 Appendix table 4. Wald-F statistics for former state prisoner and facility characteristics in the final multivariate logistic regression models of sexual victimization among male and female placements, by type of incident 49 Appendix table 5. Standard errors for table 17: Reporting of sexual victimization, by type of incident and persons to whom the incident was reported 50 Appendix table 6. Standard errors for table 19: Facility responses to the reporting of sexual victimization to staff, by type of incident 50 Appendix table 7. Standard errors for table 20: Post-release responses of victims to sexual victimization, by type of incident Highlights (continued))

Inmate Sexual Assault: The Plague That Persists

The Prison Journal, 2000

As the population of incarcerated inmates continues to swell to record proportions in the United States, the problem of inmate sexual assault continues to occur. Although no one is immune from such attacks, there are known characteristics that place inmates at increased risk of victimization. The trauma of inmate sexual assault is devastating and pervasive, with complex medical, physical, psychological, and social consequences that must be carefully managed in an interdisciplinary manner. In addition, the recognition that correctional staff of all disciplines may also victimize inmates complicates the management of this process. Mental health staff members are in a key role to shape and contribute to staff training efforts, administrative policies and procedures, and sound intervention protocols that are necessary to respond to individual inmate victims and to ensure safety and security within correctional institutions.

Sexual Violence Among Male Inmates

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2018

Inmate misconduct has been a widely studied topic for many decades. General studies of misconduct have found that there are certain factors that contribute to misconduct, including age, gender, sentence length, and facility type. Few studies, however, have examined the factors predicting sexual offenses in a prison conduct. Although many studies of victims of sexual offenses in prison have been conducted, there is a lack of studies examining the perpetrators of prison sexual violence. The current study attempted to expand this body of literature by examining the correlates of sexual misconduct among a sample of male inmates incarcerated in the state of North Carolina during 2010. Deprivation and importation theories of inmate behavior were used to guide the analysis, and measures of deprivation and importation factors were both included in the analytical models. Findings indicate that Black, nonmarried, younger inmates, who had more previous incarcerations and had been incarcerated ...

Men’s Vulnerability to Prisoner-on-Prisoner Sexual Violence: A State Correctional System Case Study

The one-state case study described in this article assesses imprisoned men's vulnerability to sexual assault by an inmate before policies were implemented to reduce sexual violence. The cases studied were substantiated in an internal hearing procedure. On average, victims were more recently incarcerated, younger, smaller, and less aggressive than their perpetrators, but many victim-perpetrator pairs deviated from this profile. The strongest predictor of victimization was a history of childhood sexual victimization. Other predictors were race, youth, build, education, and experience with incarceration.

Rates of Sexual Victimization in Prison for Inmates With and Without Mental Disorders

Psychiatric Services, 2007

Objective-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. People with serious mental illness are at significant risk of victimization in the community (1-7). Deinstitutionalization increased the number of people with serious mental illness residing in the community and in the correctional system (8-10). According to a Human Rights Watch report (11), "prisons have become the nation's primary mental health facilities." Evidence indicates that people with mental health problems in correctional settings are more likely than their counterparts without mental health problems to report prior victimization in the community (8). This evidence has raised concerns about their likely victimization in prison-environments known for their violence and exploitation of vulnerable groups (11-14). Concern has been growing about sexual victimization inside America's prisons. Another report by Human Rights Watch documenting the rape and sexual abuse of more than 200 prisoners in 37 states (15) fuelled the passage of federal legislation entitled The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (16). The goal of this legislation is to document sexual assault in prisons and to develop interventions for treating rape victims and preventing future victimization.