Survivor Stories
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.
-
Valjean Royal is a transgender woman who has survived multiple sexual assaults since she was first detained as a 17-year-old. She has endured sexual abuse in county jails and in state and federal prisons.
-
Arrested during a high school party when he was 18, Chance was beaten and repeatedly raped in an Indiana jail.
-
Joe is an openly gay man living with HIV. While at a California state prison, he was raped at knifepoint multiple times by his cellmate.
-
Laci Marie* is a transgender woman who was first locked up as a child and has experienced years of sexual abuse behind bars.
-
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.