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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Rodney is an openly gay man who was repeatedly sexually assaulted by inmates in two Louisiana jails while serving time for check fraud. He was sold into sexual slavery from one prisoner to another and was forced to abandon his male identity as his only way to survive.
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While detained at the Rappahannock Regional Jail, a male corrections officer sexually assaulted Loretta over a period of months. She reported the abuse, which led to the officer’s conviction on sexual misconduct charges. As a result, staff and inmates have retaliated against Loretta.
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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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Richard is incarcerated in Texas, where he has been assaulted repeatedly after being denied the special housing he obviously needs.