The public thinks criminals deserve the sexual abuse they suffer while incarcerated, and there’s a persistent belief that they do not have rights. Content note: This piece contains detailed descriptions of sexual assault. Rodney Smith said the two men who cornered him on his first day in a Louisiana jail a decade ago were big.
Editor’s note: The original version of this story was published in December 2016. In December 2017, we touched base with Just Detention International (JDI) Communications Director Jesse Lerner-Kinglake for an update. In the wake of #MeToo, Lerner-Kinglake says, “For perhaps the first time ever, we’ve reached at a moment where sexual abuse is a national topic
On W9USA, JDI’s Cynthia Totten talks about how the Words of Hope campaign brings comfort to prisoner rape survivors. Originally posted here.
This is the time of year when you do nice things for others. Here is a very nice thing you can do today, and it will only take a minute. Every year during the holidays, the group Just Detention International collects and delivers messages of hope for survivors of prison rape. It has never been easier
JUST ONE MONTH after the open secret of Harvey Weinstein’s predation was exposed, the “Weinstein effect” has become a well-established piece of the media vernacular. The idea of a “Weinstein effect” is in part predicated on the idea that Weinstein’s overdue dethroning presents us with a replicable blueprint for challenging abusers and harassers in positions of power. It’s