No Escape

This report investigated the incidence of prison rape, based on correspondence with more than 200 prisoners spread among thirty-four states, inmate interviews, and a comprehensive survey of state correctional authorities. This data shows that certain prisoners are targeted for sexual exploitation the moment they enter a penal facility, including youth, small size, and physical weakness; being white, gay, or a first offender; possessing "feminine" characteristics such as long hair or a high voice; being unassertive, unaggressive, shy, intellectual, not street-smart, or "passive"; or having been convicted of a sexual offense against a minor. The authors warn that by failing to implement reasonable measures to prevent and punish rape - and, indeed, in many cases, taking actions that make sexual victimization likely - state authorities permit this abuse to occur.