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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Toni Lynn was sexually assaulted by an officer at a California state prison. Like many survivors, Toni Lynn tells of the shame and self-recrimination that resulted from the abuse.
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Stephen was brutally gang-raped after being arrested at a Quaker pray-in at the White House. He contracted HIV as a consequence of the rape, and later died from an AIDS-related illness.
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Like many new inmates, Roderick was pressured by gang members for sex in exchange for protection. When he refused, one gang orchestrated an attack on him, leading to years of physical and sexual abuse.
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Robin was raped by an extradition agent while she was being extradited back to the US. Robin sued the perpetrator’s employer and the case was settled for an undisclosed amount.
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While he was in federal custody for non-violent drug charges, Carlos was sexually assaulted by inmates at two different facilities. As an openly gay man with a history of sexual abuse as a child, Carlos was at high risk for being targeted by predators.