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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, at least 140,000 inmates are raped in the US each year,^[1] and there is a 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 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.

According to the study conducted by the United States Department of Justice for the year 2006, there were 2,205 allegations of inmate-on-inmate nonconsensual sexual acts reported, total, in the U.S. prison system. 262 of the allegations were substantiated.^[2]

Prison rape has become a staple of comedy or drama in films and television. Films such as Office Space, Half Baked, and Let's Go to Prison have used it as a darkly humorous topic, while prison drama Oz contained multiple scenes of rape.

See also

• Types of rape
• Prison sexuality

Notes

External links

• Stop Prisoner Rape Organization campaigning against prison rape
• Mother raped in prison, son born there and imprisoned till the age of 40
• LA Times coverage