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Sexual Violence

Louisiana Rep. Delisha Boyd, a Black woman wearing glasses and a black dress, speaks into a mic while standing in front of a podium. Two Black men wearing suits stand in the background.
Closing Argument June 21
These States Are Debating Castration for Sex Crimes. Experts Call It Cruel and Pointless.
Critics say there’s no evidence that castration prevents future sex offenses. Yet several states are weighing such measures.
By
An illustration shows a Black woman in a cream-colored prison uniform looking at a silhouette of a guard.
Life Inside March 10
At My Texas Prison, Solitary Confinement All But Guarantees Sexual Exploitation by Guards
Prison journalist Kwaneta Harris on “the hole” at Lane Murray Unit: “It is not uncommon for guards to withhold food unless we take our shirts off.”
By Kwaneta Harris, with Deborah Zalesne
Signs lie on the ground as a person hovers over one on the left side of the photo, and another person holds one with a gloved hand. A sign in the center reads: "Justice for Sandra Birchmore", and shows a picture of Sandra, a White young woman with brown hair and red-rimmed glasses.
Feature August 30, 2024
How a Massachusetts Cop Allegedly Groomed, Controlled and Killed Sandra Birchmore
Matthew Farwell met her in a police Explorer program. Prosecutors say he abused her for years before she became pregnant and he killed her.
By
A photo collage in black and white and blue tones shows, from left, an excerpt of a transcript that reads: “I hereby submit the following report into the matter of Sandra Birchmore, and into the possible violations…procedure, rules and regulations of the Stoughton Pol…”; a sign reading “Stoughton”, the silhouette of a police officer; the words “Sandra Birchmore”; an excerpt of a transcript that reads “The relationship continue…many years and included…and communications while…was on duty for the Stoug…Police Department.”; and a photo of Sandra Birchmore.
Feature May 1, 2024
In This Police Youth Program, a Trail of Sexual Abuse Across the U.S.
Explorer posts, overseen by the Boy Scouts, are supposed to foster an interest in policing. They have faced nearly 200 allegations of misconduct.
By , and
Life Inside February 4, 2021
I’ve Been Strip-Frisked Over 1,000 Times in Prison. I Consider It Sexual Assault
Strip-searching us for contraband is a perfectly legal way to rob incarcerated people of our humanity.
By Corey Devon Arthur
Life Inside February 8, 2018
My Sexual Harassers Were Behind Bars. I Was Their Guard.
“I’ve seen more men masturbate than I can count.”
By TaLisa J. Carter
Danielle Sered is the director of Common Justice, an organization that operates an alternative-to-incarceration and victim service program for serious and violent felonies.
Q&A February 16, 2017
Is Prison the Answer to Violence?
An advocate (and survivor) makes the case for another approach.
By
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, right, during a news conference in June amid a sex scandal involving several city police officers.
Commentary August 16, 2016
What the DOJ’s Report on Baltimore Teaches Us About Cops, Sex Workers, and Corruption
A look inside a culture of pervasive misconduct.
By Ethan Brown
Case in Point August 15, 2016
The Case of the Do-Nothing Judge
Suppose a judge decides not to decide. For five years.
By
News February 25, 2016
Listen to Our First Collaboration with “This American Life”
“An Anatomy of Doubt,” a young woman’s story of rape and redemption, debuts Friday.
By The Marshall Project
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