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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Tabitha is a transgender woman who has been sexually assaulted by fellow prisoners at several men’s prisons throughout New York State. She has never gotten a response for reporting the abuse, and was even raped once while trying to file a grievance.
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John was a teenager when he was detained at a county jail for a probation violation, where another inmate attempted to rape him. When he was later incarcerated at a New York state prison, John experienced further sexual abuse.
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While working as a porter at a Texas state prison, Ivory was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a female corrections officer. He attempted to report the abuse, but was told that there was nothing that could be done since she was an officer and he was an inmate.
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Amanda was sexually abused repeatedly by a lieutenant while serving time in a Texas prison. Instead of getting the help she deserves, her concerns were brushed aside, causing her mental and physical health to suffer.
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While she was incarcerated at a federal work camp for a non-violent, drug-related conviction, a corrections officer sexually assaulted Rebecca on a weekly basis for eight months. After reporting the assaults, she was transferred to another prison farther away from her family.