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Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC-3) 2017-18

Closing Date
The purpose of this award is to provide funding through a cooperative agreement for a collection agent to administer the third round of the National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC-3). NSYC-3 will gather self-reported sexual assault data from youth in juvenile correctional facilities. Activities include drawing a national sample of state-operated juvenile facilities and locally or privately-operated facilities that house adjudicated youth under state...

Bureau of Justice Statistics receives policy impact award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Bureau of Justice Statistics
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2014 Contact: Kara McCarthy (202) 307-1241
HTTP://WWW.BJS.GOV/ After hours: (202) 598-9320

BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS RECEIVES POLICY IMPACT AWARD

WASHINGTON –The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and its data collection agents will receive the 2014 Policy Impact Award from the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) for their innovative and salient efforts to measure...

Sexual Victimization Reported by Adult Correctional Authorities, 2007-2008

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 10:00 A.M. EST Bureau of Justice Statistics
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011          Contact: Kara McCarthy (202) 307-1241
HTTP://BJS.OJP.USDOJ.GOV/ After hours: (202) 598-0556

Correctional Authorities Reported MORE THAN 14,800 Allegations of Sexual Victimization  in Prisons and Jails during 2007 and 2008

One in seven were confirmed after investigation

WASHINGTON – Federal, state and local correctional authorities reported an estimated 7,374 allegations of...

Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2012

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 10:00 A.M. EDT Bureau of Justice Statistics
THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2013                                     Contact: Kara McCarthy (202) 307-1241
HTTP://WWW.BJS.GOV/ After hours: (202) 598-9320

ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF ADJUDICATED YOUTH REPORTED SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION IN JUVENILE FACILITIES IN 2012

WASHINGTON – An estimated 9.5 percent of adjudicated youth (1,720) in juvenile facilities reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another youth...

Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates, 2011-12

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 10:00 A.M. EDT Bureau of Justice Statistics
THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013                                     Contact: Kara McCarthy (202) 307-1241
HTTP://WWW.BJS.GOV/ After hours: (202) 598-9320

INMATES WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS REPORTED HIGH RATES OF SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION IN 2011-12

WASHINGTON – Prison and jail inmates identified with mental health problems reported higher rates of inmate-on-inmate sexual victimization than inmates without a mental health problem, according...

Survey of Sexual Violence in Adult Correctional Facilities, 2009-11 - Statistical Tables

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 10:00 A.M. EST Bureau of Justice Statistics
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014                     Contact: Kara McCarthy (202) 307-1241
HTTP://WWW.BJS.GOV/ After hours: (202) 598-9320

ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION IN PRISONS AND JAILS ROSE
FROM 2009 TO 2011; SUBSTANTIATED INCIDENTS REMAINED STABLE

WASHINGTON – Correctional administrators reported 8,763 allegations of sexual victimization in prisons, jails and other adult correctional facilities in 2011, a statistically...

Sexual Victimization Reported by Adult Correctional Authorities, 2009-11

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 10:00 A.M. EST Bureau of Justice Statistics
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014                     Contact: Kara McCarthy (202) 307-1241
HTTP://WWW.BJS.GOV/ After hours: (202) 598-9320

ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION IN PRISONS AND JAILS ROSE
FROM 2009 TO 2011; SUBSTANTIATED INCIDENTS REMAINED STABLE

WASHINGTON – Correctional administrators reported 8,763 allegations of sexual victimization in prisons, jails and other adult correctional facilities in 2011, a statistically...

Sexual victimization as reported by adult correctional and juvenile justice authorities

Inmate-on-inmate or youth-on-youth sexual victimization involves nonconsensual sexual acts or abusive contact with a victim without his or her consent or with a victim who cannot consent or refuse.

Nonconsensual sexual acts are the most serious victimizations and include—

  • contact between the penis and the vulva or the penis and the anus, including penetration, however slight
  • contact between the mouth and the penis, vulva, or anus
  • penetration of the anal or genital opening of another person, however slight, by a hand, finger, object, or other instrument.

Abusive sexual contact is less serious and includes intentional touching, either directly or through the clothing, of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks of any person. Incidents in which the contact was incidental to a physical altercation are excluded.

Sexual harassment by another inmate includes—

  • repeated and unwelcome sexual advances
  • requests for sexual favors
  • verbal comments, gestures, or actions of a derogatory or offensive sexual nature.

Staff-on-inmate or staff-on-youth sexual victimization includes both consensual and nonconsensual acts perpetrated on an inmate by staff. Staff includes an employee, volunteer, contractor, official visitor, or other agency representative. Family, friends, and other visitors are excluded.

Staff sexual misconduct includes any consensual or nonconsensual behavior or act of a sexual nature directed toward an inmate by staff, including romantic relationships. Such acts include—

  • intentional touching, either directly or through the clothing, of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks that is unrelated to official duties or with the intent to abuse, arouse, or gratify sexual desire
  • completed, attempted, threatened, or requested sexual acts
  • occurrences of indecent exposure, invasion of privacy, or staff voyeurism for reasons unrelated to official duties or for sexual gratification.

Staff sexual harassment includes repeated verbal comments or gestures of a sexual nature to an inmate by staff. Such statements include—

  • demeaning references to an inmate's sex or derogatory comments about his or her body or clothing
  • repeated profane or obscene language or gestures.
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