DOJ Report: High Rate of Sexual Abuse and Rape of Jailed Juveniles
Is the Obama administration moving too slowly on reforms that would reduce sexual abuse and rape in U.S. prisons? A recent study from its own Department of Justice reports a "very high rate of staff sexual misconduct" against juvenile inmates. It cites two facilities in Virginia and one in Maryland, among others.
The Washington Post reports that the Justice Department "reported…12 percent of incarcerated juveniles, or more than 3,200 young people, had been raped or sexually abused in the past year by fellow inmates or prison staff.” USA Today reports, "In the worst facilities surveyed - in Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina and Texas - more than 30% of youths reported they had been sexually victimized.” Of the 195 juvenile facilities in the study 13 had an overall victimization rate that could be identified as “high rate”.
The overall victimization rate mostly is a measure that includes all reports of unwilling sexual activity between youth and all reports of staff sexual misconduct, regardless of the level of coercion and type of sexual activity.
The 13 “worse” facilities include the following:
In Loco Parentis (commitment made in place of the parent)
Pendleton Juv. Corr. Fac. (IN)
Corsicana Res. Trtmt. Ctr. (TX)
Victory Field Corr. Acad. (TX)
Indianapolis Juv. Corr. Fac. (IN)
Shawono Ctr. (MI)
Parental/guardian consent (parental consent to commitment)
Samarkand Yth. Dev. Ctr. (NC)
Culpeper Juv. Corr. Ctr., Long Term (VA)
Woodland Hills Yth. Dev. Ctr. (TN)
Backbone Mtn. Yth. Ctr., Swanton (MD)
L.E. Rader Ctr. (OK)
Cresson Secure Treatment Unit (PA)
New Jersey Training School (NJ)