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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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.
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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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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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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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While serving time in a Texas prison, Joshua was raped by three gang members, including his cellmate. He did not report the assault, because he did not think that prison officials would keep him safe.