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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After arriving at state prison, Kerry repeatedly requested placement in protective custody. Instead of guaranteeing his safety, officials ignored his pleas, allowing another inmate to rape and extort Kerry.
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Sarah, a transsexual woman, was sexually assaulted by two guards at a Washington state prison. Despite Sarah’s attempts to report the incident, nothing was done. She was later raped by another inmate.
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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.
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Keith was sexually assaulted after prison officials transferred him to a dangerous facility as punishment for reporting staff misconduct. Keith, who contracted HIV as a result of the abuse, became a powerful advocate. He testified before the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission in 2005 and served on JDI’s Survivor Council. He passed away in 2015.
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An openly gay man, Sidney has been repeatedly sexually abused in Texas prisons. He was first raped at the age of 17 while housed in an adult facility. Later, like many other inmates, he was forced to enter into a sexually abusive relationship with a more powerful inmate in exchange for protection from further violence. Sidney continues to suffer from the trauma of the sexual assaults and fears it will happen again.