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Prison rape in the United States

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Prison rape commonly refers to the rape of inmates in prison by other inmates or prison staff.

According to Human Rights Watch, there appears to be significant variation in the rates of prison rape by race. Stop Prisoner Rape, Inc. statistics indicate that there are more men raped in U.S. prisons than non-incarcerated women similarly assaulted. They estimate that 25,000 inmates are raped each year; that young men are five times more likely to be attacked; and that the prison rape victims are ten times more likely to contract a deadly disease.


Prison Rape and Sexuality

In prison rape, the perpetrator and victim are generally the same sex (due to the gender-segregated nature of prison confinment.) As such, a host of issues regarding sexual orientation and gender roles are associated with the topic.

In U.S. male prisons, rapists generally identify as heterosexual and confine themselves to non-receptive sexual acts. Victims, commonly referred to as "punks," may or may not be seen as homosexual. Punks are generally confined to performing receptive sexual acts. Moreover, though "punks" sometimes agree to a sexual arrangement with an agressor, these men generally consider themselves heterosexuals.

Transgendered inmates face further difficulties, and Stop Prisoner Rape asserts that such inmates have an almost certain chance of being sexually assaulted in prison.

Shame regarding perceived homosexuality may contribute to the underreporting of prison rape by victims.

U.S. Cultural Attitudes

Many human rights groups, such as the Human Rights Watch and Stop Prisoner Rape, claim that prison staff tolerate rape as a means of controlling the prison population in general.

Suicide among rape victims is a problem of unknown proportions.

The topic of prison rape is relatively common in American humor. Such jokes seem to suggest that prison rape is an acceptable consequence of being sent to prison.

U.S. Law

U.S. Federal law, under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, calls for the compliation of national prison rape statistics, annual hearings by a review panel, and the provision of grants to the states to address prison rape.

See also

References

  • [1] "No Escape: Male Rape in U.S. Prisons," Human Rights Watch, accessed 20 Aug 2006.
  • [2] "The Basics on Rape Behind Bars," Stop Prisoner Rape, Inc., accessed 20 Aug 2006.
  • [3] Coolman, Alex, "Trivializing Prison Rape," Counter Punch, 1 Aug 2003.
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