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Assistant Professor Amber Joy Powell is advancing how we understand sexual violence in detention facilities. Her intensive research into the daily lives of incarcerated people, and her passion for sharing their experiences, bridge the worlds of sociology, criminology, and public policy.

Professor Powell’s work is grounded in three interrelated areas: gender-based violence, punishment, and sexual health and safety. At the core of her research is a pressing question: How do incarcerated people experience sexual violence, and what structural, cultural, and institutional barriers prevent them from seeking justice? Her ongoing project—focusing on the implementation and lived realities of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)—explores this question in youth and adult detention facilities across the U.S.

To answer it, Professor Powell has conducted over 100 interviews with a range of stakeholders, including correctional authorities, victim advocates, and formerly incarcerated survivors. She pairs this data with an analysis of 55 PREA investigations, civil and class-action lawsuits, and congressional testimonies, building a rich and complex portrait of how sexual violence operates behind bars and how survivors navigate institutional responses.

Her findings challenge many dominant narratives about safety, punishment, and justice. “Sexual harm in confinement isn’t always about singular, violent acts,” she explains. “It’s also about the sexual coercion embedded in everyday practices—like strip searches, constant surveillance, and gendered forms of degradation—that reproduce a culture of sexual violence.”

Women, in particular, describe how these practices mirror and worsen earlier traumas, creating a continuum of abuse that persists throughout their incarceration. One of the most striking threads in her work is the sexual victimization of men and boys by women correctional staff, a topic often dismissed due to gender biases about vulnerability, power, and norms of masculinity and femininity. Professor Powell found that “men and boys face significant barriers to reporting abuse, especially when the perpetrator is female”.

“Who gets believed? Who gets protection? And who gets ignored?” These are central questions driving Professor Powell’s research. Despite broad consensus that PREA has brought some progress—such as reducing victim-blaming attitudes among staff—her research underscores how difficult it remains to substantiate claims of sexual misconduct. Without physical evidence, camera footage, witnesses, or a confession, many survivors are left without recourse.

From the Courtroom to the Classroom: A Scholar’s Journey

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Professor Powell’s interest in issues of violence and justice began early. As a McNair Scholar at Marquette University, she conducted ethnographic research on courtroom practices during sexual assault proceedings, observing how legal actors—judges, attorneys, even jurors—constructed narratives of “legitimate” victimhood. These early experiences fueled her desire to explore the social forces shaping how young people, especially those from marginalized communities, experience and report violence.

Her scholarly path continued at the University of Minnesota, where she was immersed in a department known for its critical focus on punishment systems, she delved into subfields like law and society, punishment and society, and criminology. Working on Professor Michelle Phelps’ “Policing in Minneapolis” project, the soon-to-be-Professor Powell co-authored research on how Black women experience the dual burden of gender-based violence and fear of police violence—an intersection that remains central to her work today.

She began asking, “In what ways does punishment itself reproduce sexual trauma?” This question ultimately became the foundation for her current work on sexual violence in jails and prisons. Her research doesn’t just analyze policy, it investigates the human consequences of prison systems, and how society sustains those harms, largely by ignoring them.

Professor Powell’s research holds implications for correctional policy and reintegration services. When prisoners are mistreated, they carry the scars of that mistreatment into society when they are released. Prison violence harms all of us. She argues that addressing sexual trauma must be part of any meaningful conversation about criminal justice reform. For example, several of the formerly incarcerated survivors she interviewed described how sexual violence behind bars inhibited their ability to form healthy relationships after release. “We need reintegration programs that center sexual wellbeing and healing, not just employment and housing,” she explains.

Her work also brings critical insight to ongoing civil legal cases, both for currently and formerly incarcerated survivors. While PREA has been framed as a bipartisan success, Professor Powell reveals how its implementation often fails to hold facilities accountable, leaving many survivors trapped in systems that silence rather than support them.

Teaching, Mentorship, and Community

Complementing her passion for research, Professor Powell is quick to point to her students as one of the most rewarding parts of her role as assistant professor. “I’ve always found public speaking challenging, but I love when the classroom becomes a space for open, thoughtful dialogue,” she says. She also cherishes her collaborations with graduate students and the shared commitment across the department to social change through research. Professor Powell deeply values teaching and mentorship. “I love when the classroom transforms into a space of open discussion,” she says. “Students bring fresh perspectives, sharp questions, and a real passion for justice.”

Her teaching is grounded in her early advocacy experiences in the community. As an undergraduate, she volunteered as a sexual assault victim advocate, supporting survivors on hotlines and in clinics. In Minneapolis, she worked with WATCH, a court-monitoring program for domestic violence cases. More recently, she has partnered with organizations focused on the traumatic impact of strip searches on youth and adults, using her expertise to benefit the community.

Intellectual Influences and the Power of Community

Asked about the scholars who shaped her, Professor Powell emphasizes the collective over the individual. “So much of who I’ve become is thanks to a scholarly community that believed in me,” she says. Her mentors—including Professors Michelle Hlavka, Sameena Mulla, and Michelle Phelps—not only introduced her to rigorous qualitative methods but showed her what it means to do research that matters.

She also points to the impact of Professor Beth Richie’s work on Black women’s experiences with violence and the state. “Richie’s work taught me to focus on communities who are often left out of mainstream narratives, and to center their voices in my own research.”

Outside the Academy

Outside of her research and teaching, Amber Powell is a vibrant and grounded person. A lifelong music lover, she finds joy in everything from gospel and R&B to yacht rock and classic soul. She is a dedicated fan of Elvis Presley. Her first concert was Patti LaBelle (right here in Iowa!), and she’s proudly met Janet Jackson—twice. She’s currently on a journey to learn Spanish through an immersion program and values nothing more than spending time with family and friends: “Whether it’s a BBQ, movie night, or just talking—we make time to be together.”

Summary

Professor Powell’s research sheds light on some of the darkest corners of the detention system that controls the lives of more than a million adults and young people in the United States. In doing so, her work allows us to imagine something better and healthier.