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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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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Clarence was the target of repeated sexual assaults by other inmates while serving time in a Texas prison. Staff intervened only when Clarence threatened to hurt himself, and on many occasions they have retaliated against him for reporting.
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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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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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Christopher is a prisoner in a Texas state prison who has been sexually assaulted multiple times. He has often been forced to seek protection from one perpetrator in order to avoid further assaults.