A trio of bipartisan lawmakers has introduced legislation to authorize grants to expand emotional support services for individuals who have experienced sexual abuse in prisons, jails, and detention centers, D.T. Carson of L.A. Focusreported.
Dubbed The Sexual Abuse Services in Detention Act of 2024, H.R. 9835 is co-authored by Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) and Hank Johnson (D-GA).
“All survivors of sexual abuse deserve support services that are within reach—especially incarcerated individuals, who are more at risk for experiencing abuse and dealing with the aftermath alone,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “As we take steps to protect those in prisons and jails from sexual abuse, this legislation will ensure that incarcerated individuals have access to life-saving services like telephone hotlines and crisis intervention. Protecting survivors of abuse is a bipartisan issue, and I will continue working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to ensure every individual has the resources and support they need to heal.”
In April, the federal Bureau of Prisons shut down FCI Dublin, a women’s prison in Northern California, infamously known as a “rape club” because of pervasive sexual abuse perpetrated by correctional officers. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into allegations of systemic sexual abuse of incarcerated women at two state prisons in California. A lawsuit filed by 21 women at the California Institution for Women in Chino claims that between 2014 and 2020, correctional officers engaged in groping, forced rape, coerced participation in oral sex, and issued threats of violence.
It is conservatively estimated that one in ten inmates is sexually abused in prison. With over 1.9 million people held in correctional facilities nationwide, this means at least 200,000 individuals will be sexually assaulted during their incarceration.
“The uptick in sexual abuse allegations in federal prisons is appalling,” said Congressman Armstrong. “Our legislation aims to increase safety measures in prisons, protect incarcerated individuals from sexual abuse, and ensure that resources needed to report sexual abuse are accessible.”
Assaults in custodial settings, from inmate-on-inmate violence to abuse of power by prison staff, have often been treated as routine or an unavoidable consequence of the prison system. As a result, incarcerated individuals facing sexual abuse must choose between remaining silent, seeking dangerous protection from other inmates, defending themselves and risking extended sentences, or reporting the abuse to corrections officers, which can leave them labeled as a “snitch.” Between 2014 and 2023, despite hundreds of complaints from women in California’s state prisons about sexual abuse at the hands of staff, only four officers were dismissed, illustrating the deep-rooted challenges in addressing this issue.
“There is a human rights crisis happening in our prisons, and it’s up to us to put a stop to it,” said Congressman Johnson. “The Sexual Abuse Services in Detention Act is a crucial first step towards a more just and safe existence for those incarcerated in our nation’s federal prisons.”
Although the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) requires detention facilities to ensure safety and provide emotional support services to abused inmates, such services are often inaccessible, particularly in underfunded or remote facilities.
This bill would address those gaps by funding emotional support services, providing training for correctional staff, and establishing a national resource center to offer guidance and support within detention facilities.
“Victims of sexual abuse in our nation’s prisons must be given the same resources as anyone else who experiences this trauma,” said Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). “This bill would ensure incarcerated individuals can receive counseling while also funding education and training for correctional institutions.”
“Sexual abuse can take a real toll on survivors’ mental and emotional health, but counseling can help people recover from this trauma,” said Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI). “Our bill will make sure these support services for incarcerated survivors are free and confidential.”
Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) hailed the legislation as a significant step forward.
“The Sexual Abuse Services in Detention Act provides funding for emotional support services for sexual abuse survivors in detention facilities; provides training for employees of correctional services to help them provide better emotional support services for incarcerated survivors; and creates a national resource center to give guidance and training within penitentiaries to those seeking help,” Miller said. “It is imperative for survivors, regardless of their situation, to have the resources they need.”
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