by Alyssa Garagiola, Training & Community Engagement Policy Advocate
Approximately 80,000 inmates experience sexual violence each year in the United States (US) (Weaver et al., 2025). In 2024, the rate of incarcerated people in Maryland was 475 per 100,000 people (Widra, 2024). During Spring 2024, a total of 16,178 Marylanders were incarcerated in state prisons and 8,443 were incarcerated in local jails (Kang-Brown, 2024).
In 2022, 22% of Marylanders who were incarcerated in state prisons identified as White, 71% identified as Black, 5% identified as Hispanic, and 1% identified with another race or ethnicity (KFF, n.d.). Additionally, in 2022, about 500 per 100,000 incarcerated Marylanders were male and about 17 per 100,000 incarcerated Marylanders were female (KFF, n.d.).
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) is a federal law which enforces a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment, assault, and rape in correctional facilities. PREA requires incarceration facilities to be audited to ensure compliance with PREA standards. Across the US, in 2024, there were 29 reported allegations of inmate-against-inmate sexual abuse at low security facilities, 40 reported allegations at medium security facilities, and 15 reported allegations at high security facilities (DOJ, 2024). In Maryland, there were 181 investigations of sexual misconduct at prisons and local jails in 2024, and 9 substantiated and 24 ongoing cases of intimate-against-inmate sexual misconduct (DPSCS, 2024). Survivors in incarceration facilities can face many barriers to reporting and accessing healing resources.
According to a 2019-2022 Survey of 280 transgender people and their experiences in state prisons in the US, 53% of survey respondents reported being sexually assaulted at some point during their prison sentence (Chesnut & Peirce, 2024). 31% of respondents reported feeling unsafe due to being harassed, threatened, or attacked by other inmates (Chesnut & Peirce, 2024). 36% of survey respondents reported feeling unsafe while incarcerated due to being in unwanted close contact with other incarcerated people in prison cells, yards, and showers (Chesnut & Peirce, 2024).
Similarly, data from consensual interviews with 44 inmates at a female-only prison in the US revealed that numerous inmates do not feel safe from sexual abuse or sexual misconduct in bathroom areas due to little to no privacy, “inappropriate boundaries from officers,” and overall low staffing (Weaver et al., 2025). Some interviewees reported that inmates may seek “protection” while incarcerated through sexual exchanges (Weaver et al., 2025). Additionally, interviewees reported that inmates who appear to be “too nice”, use substances, and lack access to resources and support are at an increased risk for sexual violence victimization (Weaver et al., 2025). Other interviewees reported that having too much real or perceived support on the outside can also make an inmate a target for sexual abuse due to unequal access to resources (Weaver et al., 2025).
Sexual violence is costly for both individuals and society as a whole. The estimated lifetime economic cost of rape (using 2014 US dollars) is $122,461 per survivor (Peterson et al., 2017). Being incarcerated also has an economic cost, and these costs are higher for certain individuals due to racial disparities. For example, White former inmates lose an estimated $267,000, Black former inmates lose an estimated $358,900, and Latino former inmates lose an estimated $511,500 across their lifetime due to involvement in the criminal justice system (Craigie et al., 2020).
Multiple studies show a relationship between the risk of criminal justice system involvement and the risk of homelessness (Augustine & Kushel, 2022). In one study, formerly incarcerated individuals were 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general US population (Donohue, 2024). In an outcome evaluation of one state’s reentry services, formerly incarcerated individuals were more likely to commit another crime if they did not have access to housing stability and supportive services upon being released from prison or jail (Lutze, et al., 2014). In the study of female inmates, previously mentioned, one inmate shared, "'individuals who don’t have moral or financial support from home are often victims [of sexual violence] and victims often become perpetrators [of sexual violence] (Lutze et al., 2014).” Overall, poverty, a lack of employment opportunities, and a lack of institutional support are risk factors for sexual violence perpetration (CDC, 2024).
However, in the study of female inmates, numerous participants reported that having a good support system could contribute to detering sexual abuse while in prison (Weaver et al., 2025). In the survey of transgender inmates, about ⅔ of survey respondents reported having access to outside advocates who helped and supported them (Chesnut & Peirce, 2024). Overall, this shows the importance of access to community-based resources and support, both of which pre-release facilities provide to incarcerated individuals who pose the least risk of violence or escape. Increasing incarcerated Marylanders’ access to community-based support and resources, increases protective factors against future sexual violence perpetration in Maryland.
Currently, Maryland legislators are reviewing a bill, called the “Correctional Services–Comprehensive Rehabilitative Prerelease Services–Female Incarcerated Individuals” (SB0187/HB0935). This bill will require the Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services to build a pre-release facility for female incarcerated individuals and implement certain comprehensive rehabilitative pre-release services by July 1, 2026.
All survivors of sexual violence, including incarcerated individuals, deserve opportunities to heal and receive support. Follow the progress of the Monica Cooper Prerelease Act in the Maryland General Assembly and find out information on contacting your state legislators here.
Additional Resources
References
Augustine, D. & Kushel, M. (2022). “Community Supervision, Housing Insecurity, & Homelessness.” The American Journal of Political & Social Science.” Retrieved here.
Chesnut, K. & Peirce, J. (2024). “Advancing Transgender Justice: Illuminating Trans Lives Behind and Beyond Bars.” Vera Institute of Justice. Retrieved here.
Craigie, T. A., Grawert, A., & Kimble, C. (2020). “Conviction, Imprisonment, and Lost Earnings: How Involvement with the Criminal Justice System Deepens Inequality.” Brennan Center for Justice. Retrieved here.
Donohue, J. S. (2024). “Barriers to Successful Re-Entry.” UNLV Center for Crime & Policy Justice.” Retrieved here.
Kang-Brown, J. & Zhang, J. (2024). “People in Jail and Prison in 2024.” Vera Institute of Justice. Retrieved here.
KFF. (n.d.). “Prisons Under State Jurisdiction by Race/Ethnicity: Timeframe: 2022.” Retrieved here.
Lutze, F. E., Rosky, J. W., & Hamilton, Z. K. (2014). “A Multisite Outcome Evaluation of Washington State’s Reentry Housing Program for High Risk Offenders.” Journal of Criminal Justice & Behavior. Retrieved here.
Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). (2024). “Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services Prison Rape Elimination Act Annual Report 2024.” Retrieved here.
Peterson, C., DeGue, S., Florence, C., & Lakey, C. N. (2017). “Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape Among U.S. Adults.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Retrieved here.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). (2024). “Risk & Protective Factors.” Sexual Violence Prevention. Retrieved here.
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2024). “Annual PREA Report.” Retrieved here.
Weaver, S., Shippen, M. E., Derzis, N. C., Curtis, R. S., Hall, A. L., & Fleming, C. L. (2025). “The Power of Perception: Female Inmate Views on PREA Implementation.” American Journal of Qualitative Research. Retrieved here.
Widra, E. (2024). “States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2024.” Prison Policy Initiative. Retrieved here.
