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Sexual Assault

Illustration by Leonardo Santamaria
Closing Argument
How ‘Coercive Control’ Is Expanding Domestic Abuse Laws in Several States
The concept takes into account nonphysical tactics abusers use to trap their partners. But some worry the new laws will hurt victims.
A photograph from an angle of the South Carolina State House, a light-colored building with a triangular pediment and columns in front, and trees on a lawn with paths.
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.
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A photograph of the Georgia State Capitol building.
Closing Argument April 12
The Bipartisan Push to Rethink Long Sentences for Abuse Survivors
A Georgia bill offers a model for other states looking to protect people who are accused or convicted of crimes stemming from their abuse.
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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
In a black and white photograph, Grace Pinson, a trans Latina with short dark hair, stands outside in the sun with three men. The person to her left wears a tank top and has tattoos on his face, neck and arms. Behind her stand two men. The one on the right wears a white T-shirt and is bald. The one on the left has tattoos on his chest and arms and has close-cropped, dark hair.
News January 24
The Trans Woman Who Sued the Federal Prisons (and Won) Settles Her Remaining Cases
Days before Trump’s inauguration, the Bureau of Prisons agreed to pay Grace Pinson $95,000 to drop more than a dozen pending lawsuits.
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An illustration shows a woman who is looking down, being surrounded by transparent hands and waves of various colors.
Life Inside November 22, 2024
A Prison Rape Survivor Demands Smart, Safe and Humane Transfers
“I know how a relocation can exacerbate violence,” writes Johanna Mills. “Even when the place you’re leaving is so toxic that you can’t stay there.”
By Johanna Mills
An illustration in black-and-white shows a trans person, lying on the ground in a fetal position, with one hand over their face. A figure looms in the foreground with a closed fist.
Analysis November 13, 2024
3 Things to Know About Prison Violence Against Transgender People
Key takeaways from our story about one trans woman’s legal battle for accountability.
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An illustration mostly in muted green, brown and blue shades shows Grace Pinson, a trans Latina with long dark hair wearing a white T-shirt, standing in a courtroom while wearing handcuffs linked to a chain at her waist. An American flag is on the left of the illustration, and three people in suits look at Grace with their backs to the viewer.
Feature October 9, 2024
Assaulted by Her Cellmate, a Trans Woman Took the Federal Prisons to Court
When you are harmed in a place whose purpose is punishment, why is it so hard to get justice?
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A woman, who left her home because of intimate partner violence, stares outside a window at The Dream Center, a residential recovery facility, in Jackson, Tennessee, in 2023.
Closing Argument September 14, 2024
The Domestic Abuse Survivor to Prison Pipeline
Researchers surveyed people who kill their abusers. They found several complicated reasons why survivors end up in prison because of abuse.
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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.
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