WE'RE ON A MISSION
The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape is working to eliminate all forms of sexual violence and to advocate for the rights and needs of victims of sexual assault.
The Vulnerable Targets of Prisoner Rape
- Though anyone can become a victim, those who tend to be targeted for male prisoner-on-prisoner rape include those who are younger, smaller, and gay (or possess feminine traits). Many are first-time or non-violent offenders in the early part of their sentences who are unable to defend themselves or who lack the protection that comes with gang membership.
- Believing they have no choice, some male prisoners consent to sexual acts to avoid violence. For others, gang rape and other brutal assaults have left them beaten, bloodied, and in rare cases, dead. Often, those who live through the experience are marked as targets for further attacks, eventually forcing victims to accept long term sexual enslavement in order to survive. Treated like the perpetrator's property, the victim may be forced into servitude that includes prostitution arrangements with other male prisoners.
- For women prisoners, particular characteristics do not play such a large role in determining who will be targeted for sexual abuse by male staff, but first-time offenders, young women, and mentally disabled women are particularly vulnerable.
- Male custodial officials have vaginally, anally, and orally raped female prisoners and have abused their authority by exchanging goods and privileges for sex. Male corrections officers are often allowed to watch female inmates when they are dressing, showering, or using the toilet, and some regularly engage in verbal degradation and harassment of women prisoners. Women also report groping and other sexual abuse by male staff during pat frisks and searches.
