Survivor Stories
-
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.
Read more -
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.
Read more -
Kristal, Connecticut
Kristal, Connecticut
Kristal was sexually assaulted in a holding cell by a marshal tasked with transporting her to court.
Read more -
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.
Read more -
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.
Read more
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.
-
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.
-
A high-ranking corrections official sexually abused Jonathan for months at a federal prison in Florida. Jonathan reported the abuse, which led to a full investigation by the FBI and the Office of Inspector General.
-
Adam is an openly gay prisoner who was gang raped and sexually assaulted by detainees at the New Orleans Parish Prison over a period of two months in 2009. During those two months, Adam filed repeated emergency grievances and requested protective custody, but was denied. He agreed to have this testimony read at the Department of Justice’s Review Panel on Prisoner Rape in 2011.
-
Kristal was sexually assaulted in a holding cell by a marshal tasked with transporting her to court.
-
A cellmate raped this young gay man. He was detained in a county jail, and he was later gang-raped by a group of prisoners in a Colorado state prison.