Survivor Stories

My name is Peter but to some I’m known as Clouded Running Horses because of being part Indian and that is the path I follow. I’m currently in prison with ten years left on my sentence. And one of the worst things that could ever happen in one’s life took place in mine, as I’m sure it has happened to some others.

I was at the time being housed at Pasquotank Correctional Institution in Elizabeth City, N.C. and I was the lead man in the running of the clothes house, in which it was my job to handle the clothing for the unit. One night after I got off work I returned to my cell block. Besides me, the only other inmates that were suppose to be out after lockdown were the janitors. When I returned to my block and got my cell door opened by the officer in the control booth, I went to get me a cup of cold water and returned to my cell. My cell door was open and I was cleaning off my bed so I could go to sleep. While I was cleaning off my bed I heard my cell door shut and click. I then turned around thinking that the floor officer was making rounds and just shut my door, but when I turned around there was another inmate in my cell with me that wasn’t suppose to be there because of it being a single cell. This inmate rushed me and held a knife to my throat and told me not to make a sound otherwise I would die. I was then informed by this inmate that I would live as long I did what he said. He then started telling me that he has been watching me for some time and he has been wanting me for a while and he was going to show me that I couldn’t be teasing him the way I walked around. I tried to talk him into not doing what he was going to do. I was then told it was too late, that he was locked in with me and for me to keep quiet and not to make a sound. That is when he proceeded to sexually assault me. This inmate was in my cell with me from around 12:30 AM until after 6:00 AM that morning.

During the five and a half hours I was held hostage in my cell and assaulted three different times at knife point. I didn’t dare make any noise in fear I would be killed. I was awake all night with this inmate and he just stood in the corner of my cell watching me every time he was finished assaulting me. During this time not once did the officer that was working make any rounds to check. Even when the shift changed and they came around to make the 6 AM count they didn’t realize that this inmate was not in his cell. When the count cleared, he pushed the button to open my cell and snuck out of my cell and shut the door. I stayed locked in my cell to myself for three or four days before I came out to take a shower or to do anything. It was reported by another inmate about what happened to me, so someone else knew. I was called a week after the assault and two weeks after and questioned both times about it and I requested protective custody both times but was denied and nothing was ever done.

The person that assaulted me was later transferred so I didn’t have to worry about him anymore and I myself was also transferred sometime later. I’m trying to survive.

-Peter, North Carolina