Juvenile prisons unsafe for many teens

A Justice Department survey released in January, 2010, indicates that 12% of juvenile inmates are sexually victimized. The vast majority of cases involve boys and female staff members.

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Over 9,000 teenagers in state and privately run facilities were interviewed. There are approximately 26,000 juveniles in custody in 500 facilities around the country.

In the worst facilities surveyed (Indiana, Texas and Maryland) more than 30% of the teenagers interviewed reported they had been sexually abused. Ten percent reported the sexual contact was with staff, compared with 2.6% who reported abuse by other teens. Boys were more likely to report sexual activity with facility staff while girls reported forced sexual activity with another teen.

Other states with high incident reports include North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, Oklahoma and New Jersey.