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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Matthew was raped by his cellmate. After years of suffering alone, Matthew reached out to his local rape crisis center and, with the help of two dedicated victim advocates, is on the path to healing.
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After she was repeatedly raped by an officer in a federal detention center, Kimberly learned that the same man had assaulted a number of other women. The Bureau of Prisons had been notified about the officer’s behavior, but failed to do anything – until Kimberly spoke out and demanded justice.
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Eric was raped at knifepoint on the exercise yard in broad daylight. He was raped again on the very next day by a different prisoner, who demanded sexual favors in return for protection.
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Xandan is a transgender man incarcerated in a Texas state prison for women. For years, he has faced transphobic harassment and has been repeatedly physically and sexually abused.
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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.