Washington, D.C. – As Congress considers police reform legislation, RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, has urged House and Senate leaders to include a number of additional reforms to address issues that disproportionately impact Black victims of sexual violence.
Black girls are disproportionately represented in juvenile justice data. According to research, “Black girls are 14% of the youth population, but are 33% of girls who are detained and committed. Seventy-six percent of justice-involved girls have physical and sex abuse histories.” (The Sex Abuse to Prison Pipeline: The Girls Story, Saar et al.)
RAINN’s specific recommendations for lawmakers include:
- Eliminate the Valid Court Order exception on status offenses for juveniles.
- Reauthorize the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program.
- Improve local data collection and reporting.
- Create citizen review panels.
- Close consent loopholes for police-perpetrated sexual assault.
- Remove unethical officers from police forces.
"We hope that both parties galvanize their caucuses and unify around these much-needed reforms," RAINN President Scott Berkowitz and Vice President of Public Policy Camille Cooper wrote in a letter to Congressional leadership.
For more details, see RAINN's letters to Senate leadership and House leadership.