Behind Bars, Teenagers Become Prey

Youth held in adult prisons are the hardest hit and easiest prey for sexual abuse. The standards that the Justice Department released last month, in accordance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, prevent juveniles from being housed with adult inmates or having unsupervised contact with adult inmates in common spaces. The measures also recommend against solitary confinement as a means of protecting young inmates. But the standards stop far short of prohibiting the placement of minors in adult prisons, and largely ignore teenagers over 17.