In a speech presented at the NAACP Conference in 2015, former President Barack Obama stated, "We should not tolerate conditions in prison that have no place in any civilized country."

Gender diversity has impacted prison populations and federal policies have impacted sexual violence in corrections.

• What prison conditions might President Obama have been referring to?
• How might these prison conditions contribute to sexual violence in prisons? Consider the differences for men, women, and persons who identify as LGBTQ .
• Which federal policies have been created in an effort to improve prison conditions?
• How might these federal policies help to improve prison conditions? Consider the impact of these policies for men, women, and persons who identify as LGBTQ.