ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some of the ways that orange is the new black (OITNB) and the sexual consent movement have been in dialogue with each other over the course of the show's first three seasons (2013-2015). It argues that OITNB's depictions reflect updated understandings of sexual assault as the violation of consent, regardless of the identity of the victim or the circumstances of the crime. The chapter demonstrates the thematic ties between real-world discussion of sexual assault and the fictional representations of assault on OITNB. Brenner and colleagues argue that as important as prison rape elimination act (PREA) and other laws are to improving the circumstances of inmates, "informal internalization and perpetuation of rape myths bar their successful application". According to Brenner, Darcy, Fedock, and Kubiak, many perpetrators are also aware of the importance of DNA evidence to a successful claim, so they take steps to avoid leaving any behind.
