Survivor Stories
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Johanna, California
Johanna, California
Johanna was raped by her work supervisor while serving time at a California state prison. After reporting her rapist, Johanna faced severe retaliation, and was eventually transferred to a prison in Nevada. A member of JDI’s Survivor Council, Johanna is a leading advocate in the fight to ensure the safety of incarcerated people.
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Trish, Oklahoma
Trish, Oklahoma
Trish is a transgender woman who has been sexually abused repeatedly during her 30 years of being incarcerated in men’s prisons in Oklahoma.
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Kristal, Connecticut
Kristal, Connecticut
Kristal was sexually assaulted in a holding cell by a marshal tasked with transporting her to court.
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Alairis, Louisiana
Alairis, Louisiana
Alairis was sexually assaulted repeatedly by her work supervisor. After she reported the assault, prison officials berated her and transferred her to a new facility, forcing her out of her bachelor’s degree program.
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Rafael, New York
Rafael, New York
After serving 23 years without incident, Rafael encountered a corrections officer who conducted abusive pat searches on inmates. Despite Rafael’s effort to report the officer, nothing was done.
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JDI has made only minor edits for spelling and clarity. Please note that some of these stories are graphic and may be difficult to read.
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Xandan is a transgender man incarcerated in a Texas state prison for women. For years, he has faced transphobic harassment and has been repeatedly physically and sexually abused.
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A corrections officer sexually abused Andrew in a Florida prison. When Andrew reported the abuse, the officer retaliated, and the abuse grew worse.
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Clarence was the target of repeated sexual assaults by other inmates while serving time in a Texas prison. Staff intervened only when Clarence threatened to hurt himself, and on many occasions they have retaliated against him for reporting.
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JDI Survivor Council member Troy Issac endured horrific sexual abuse behind bars in youth and adult detention facilities. Troy has become a powerful advocate to end this violence, telling his story to journalists, policymakers, and corrections officials. In 2014, he submitted testimony to a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on solitary confinement.
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Robert was raped by his cellmate at a federal prison in South Carolina. After reporting the assault to prison officials, he was placed in solitary confinement for over two months, just two cells away from his attacker, where he continued to be threatened and harassed.