This holiday season, take some time to go to Just Detention International and send a message to an incarcerated survivor of prison rape. From justdetention.org As Cara from The Curvature puts it:

Currently incarcerated persons are probably already the most isolated individuals in the United States. Those who are not only incarcerated but also the victims of sexual violence while imprisoned face little support, few mental health and recovery services, the ongoing threat of violence, and even retaliation should they speak of the abuse. With their support networks ripped from them, their right to safety revoked, and their abusers (who are most frequently prison officials) having control over every aspect of their lives, they are among the most vulnerable sexual assault survivors.

In light of this, sending a 250 character message of support and greeting during the holiday season may seem a truly underwhelming gesture. It is precisely these same conditions, however, that makes such a small act able to speak volumes. Incarcerated persons are cultural pariahs, socially treated as subhuman, and/or told that they deserve sexual violence as a condition of their detention. A few kind and compassionate words, under those circumstances, could mean the world.

Read more here. Send your message here.

Just Detention International is a non-profit dedicated to ending sexual violence of incarcerated people worldwide. Their website has a multitude of resources, from state-specific survivor resource guides, media like Portraits of Courage, and basic information for educating yourself about sexual violence in prisons.

They also created these powerful posters:

Write your notes today.