by Andrea C. Poe

About the author: Andrea C. Poe is a freelance writer in the Washington, D.C., area.

Robin Lucas was sentenced to 33 months in a minimum-security daily work camp program in a California women’s prison in 1994 for illegally cashing traveler’s checks. The following year, an altercation with another inmate landed her in corrective isolation. The “hole,” as it’s known, was located in an adjacent all-male facility. That’s where Lucas’ nightmare began.

Lying alone on her cot one night, she was awakened by a male inmate tugging at her. He claimed he’d paid to gain entrance, and demanded that she undress and have sex with him. When Lucas refused, he beat her until her head...