Suicide of Rodney Hulin
| Date | Injured himself on January 26, 1996, died May 9, 1996 |
|---|---|
| Type | Suicide by hanging |
| Motive | Being raped in prison |
| Outcome | Movement that advocated not placing juvenile offenders in adult prisons |
Rodney Hulin Jr. (March 2, 1978 – May 9, 1996) became a symbol of a movement that advocated against placing juvenile offenders in adult prisons because he was repeatedly raped and died of suicide there.
Hulin was imprisoned at the age of 17 in the Clemens Unit, an adult prison facility, in unincorporated Brazoria County, Texas (Greater Houston) after illegally starting a fire. He was repeatedly raped in the prison and fatally injured himself there on January 26, 1996. He died from his injuries about three months later, on May 9th.
In 1998, the state settled a lawsuit about their failure to protect Hulin after he reported the rapes. The state did not prosecute the inmates who raped Hulin.