Newly Released Report Exposes Widespread Sexual Assaults in Texas Prisons

AUSTIN – This month, the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) and the Prison Justice League (PJL) released a new report, "A Texas-Sized Failure: Sexual Assaults in Texas Prisons." This report highlights the high levels of sexual assault in Texas prisons and Texas’ failure to implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). According to a press release, last month, Governor Abbott re-certified with the Department of Justice that Texas prisons are in compliance with PREA standards.  

The press release noted that 59 percent of incarcerated survivors surveyed for the report were sexually assaulted by a staff member, and 82.3 percent reported retaliation from either prison staff or other prisoners after reporting their sexual assaults. Additionally, 41.2 percent of incarcerated survivors surveyed identified as LGBTQ and, among those, 100 percent said their sexual orientation was the reason they were assaulted.  

“Texas leads the nation in prison rape,” said Erica Gammill, a prisoner advocate at TAASA. “We’ve had many years of adequate guidance from the federal government on how to successfully implement the PREA standards, but this state is failing rape survivors.” 

The release noted that although PREA was enacted in 2003, and states are required to certify their compliance, federal data and information obtained from prisoners show that prison rape remains a serious problem in Texas. 

"Texas consistently leads the nation–sometimes doubling the national average–in reports of rape and sexual abuse in the prison system," stated the release. "The Department of Justice has provided clear and detailed standards since 2012, but federal research points to continued high rates of rape and abuse in Texas prisons. Inmate accounts obtained by TAASA and PJL echo those findings."

Annette Burrhus-Clay, executive director at TAASA, added, “The law requires Texas officials to take certain proven steps to protect prisoners from harm, including rape. When you go to prison, rape isn’t part of the punishment. Given the size of Texas’ prison system, the state has an opportunity to step up to become the national leader in implementing PREA standards effectively. But first, we have to get serious about ending this epidemic.” 

The report urges Texas to make efforts to comply with PREA standards and to adopt other recommendations meant to reduce the number of sexual assaults taking place in state correctional facilities. 

A full copy of the report is available at http://taasa.org/product/a-texas-sized-failure-sexual-assaults-in-texas-prisons/.