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#PrisonersToo
Since going viral in 2017, the #MeToo campaign has helped countless sexual abuse survivors break their silence. Yet survivors inside prisons and jails have remained invisible, unable to use the social media platforms that made #MeToo a global phenomenon.
JDI's #PrisonersToo campaign gives incarcerated people a space to share their own #MeToo stories — and people like you the chance to support them.
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Healing Behind Bars
At the California Institution for Women (CIW), JDI runs a groundbreaking healing and wellness series programs to help incarcerated people heal from trauma. This video tells the stories of three formerly incarcerated women who participated in the programs at CIW — and today are using the tools they learned to thrive on the outside.
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Protect Prison Mail
In this short video, four formerly incarcerated people talk about the importance of prison mail.
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Bringing Hope Behind Bars
JDI is the only organization in the world dedicated to ending sexual abuse in detention. This video shares the stories of three JDI Survivor Council members who endured abuse in California detention facilities — and were able to heal thanks to JDI's lifesaving work behind bars.
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Survivor Voices: Rodney
Rodney Roussell was sexually assaulted repeatedly by other inmates at a New Orleans jail. Rodney began corresponding with JDI in 2013, and has emerged as one of our most powerful spokespeople. In 2018, Rodney was the subject of a groundbreaking short documentary produced by the New York Times. He is a member of Just Detention International's Survivor Council. This video was created with support from a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime.
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Survivor Voices: Tom
Tom Cahill was gang-raped and beaten while detained at a Texas jail. He had been arrested for civil disobedience after participating in a non-violent demonstration protesting the Vietnam War. Tom is a veteran human rights advocate committed to confronting, challenging, and correcting social injustices. He served as a Board member and President of Just Detention International from 1998 to 2006. His efforts culminated in the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003, the first federal civil law to address prisoner rape. Tom is a member of Just Detention International's Survivor Council. This video was created with support from a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime.
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Survivor Voices: Nathan
Nathan Jones is a survivor of staff sexual abuse in a Wyoming prison. Since being released, Nathan and his wife, Carolyn, have worked with JDI on sharing his story as widely as possible, so that no one has to endure what he did. Nathan is a member of Just Detention International's Survivor Council. This video was created with support from a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime.
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Survivor Voices: Stephanie
Stephanie Walker was sexually assaulted by an officer in a Georgia prison. Since her release, Stephanie has shared her story with the press and advocates. She is the founder of #Iamnolongersilent, which aims to promote the voices of prisoner rape survivors, and is a member of Just Detention International's Survivor Council. This video was created with support from a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime.
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Words of Hope
JDI supporters have sent thousands of holidays greetings to incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse, through the Words of Hope campaign. This video, shot inside a women's prison, captures the reactions of a small group of inmates as they read these messages.
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Michelle-Lael’s Journey To Healing
Michelle-Lael Norsworthy is an advocate for transgender rights and member of JDI’s Survivor Council. She spent three decades in men’s prisons in California, before being released in 2015.
In this video, Michelle-Lael tells her story of survival behind bars — and how JDI made a difference in her life. -
The Lifer and the Warden
In this powerful video, a pair of old friends — a former lifer and a prison warden — reunite to make a California women’s prison safer. The video captures JDI’s groundbreaking work inside detention facilities to ensure every prisoners’ right to be free from sexual abuse.
