August 15, 2005 SAN FRANCISCO – Inmates across the country live in constant fear of being sexually assaulted, either by fellow prisoners or by corrections officials. For those most at risk – small, young, first-time offenders, gay and transgender individuals, and the mentally ill – life behind bars frequently turns into a nightmare of abuse
September 8, 2005 SACRAMENTO, CA – On September 7, the California Senate and Assembly passed the Sexual Abuse in Detention Elimination Act (AB 550), taking the state’s first major step toward becoming a national leader in the fight to end prisoner rape. “The passage of this law is a significant milestone for California, finally giving
September 22, 2005 SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Sexual Abuse in Detention Elimination Act (AB 550), which passed the California Legislature on September 7. The legislation, now cited as Chapter 303, Statutes of 2005, lays the foundation for California, which runs the largest prison system in the country, to be a
December 14, 2005 LOS ANGELES – Stop Prisoner Rape (SPR), a national human rights organization dedicated to ending sexual violence behind bars, has appointed two veteran human rights professionals to serve as Co-Executive Directors. “The appointment of Lovisa Stannow and Kathy Hall-Martinez will add even greater momentum to SPR’s uniquely important work,” said T.J. Parsell,
May 30, 2006 BOSTON – Whether incarcerated in juvenile or adult facilities, youth are among the chief victims of horrifying sexual abuse at the hands of corrections officials and other inmates. As usual in the world of sexual violence behind bars, the youngest, the smallest, and the least experienced in the ways of prison life are