| Prior abuse
within the inmate population, a statistical
report. |
| There are many characteristics that can
affect how a person responds to threats, fear, and intimidation. This is of particular relevance when
analyzing the histories of men and women incarcerated in jails and correctional
facilities. The statistics that follow
are vital to understanding exactly why some
inmates are more vulnerable to becoming involved with staff sexual misconduct. |
| Of State prison inmates
surveyed, more than 57% of all females and
16% of all males had experienced some form of sexual or physical abuse prior to their
incarceration. |
| Staff sexual misconduct with inmates is not
an issue singularly affecting women inmates. Incidents of misconduct cross gender
boundaries for both staff and inmates. However, the statistics
do indicate that the characteristics of female inmates, make them more
vulnerable to such incidents.
|
- More than half of
the women had been abused by spouses or boyfriends, and
nearly a third by parents or guardians.
- More than half of the men had been abused by parents or
guardians.
- Males reporting
abuse indicate being mistreated mostly as children.
- Females reporting abuse state that the abuse continued
through the childhood years into adulthood.
- 89% of all inmates reporting abuse had used illegal drugs,
compared to 82% who had not been abused.
|
|
Male Inmates |
Female Inmates |
| Experienced some form of
sexual or physical abuse prior to incarceration. |
16% |
57.2% |
| Experienced abuse prior to
the age of 18 |
14.4% |
36.7% |
| Of those raised in foster
care or other home other than parental home, percentage at risk for abuse |
44% |
86.7% |
| Abuse involved rape |
3.1% |
37.3% |
|
| Experts
agree that substance abuse is an exceptionally common method of trying to disassociate
oneself from traumatic lives.
Ironically,
the effects of substance abuse and the inability to deal with the emotional trauma
of abuse,
only aggravate the psychological damage. |
| Of those
reporting Prior Abuse |
Male Inmates |
Female Inmates |
| Had parents who had abused
one or more substances |
29.4% |
75.7% |
| Had family members or
spouses with prior incarcerations |
20% |
64% |
|
Sources:
Bureau
of Justice Statistics, Selected Findings
report, “Prior Abuse Reported by Inmates
and Probationers”, April 1999, NCJ 172879]
Herman,
Judith Lewis, M.D., Trauma and Recovery, Basic Books, a division of Harper Collins Publishers, 1992. |
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