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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Robin was raped by an extradition agent while she was being extradited back to the US. Robin sued the perpetrator’s employer and the case was settled for an undisclosed amount.
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Like other transgender women in men’s prisons, Ophelia was repeatedly sexual assaulted by inmates and staff. Female corrections officers singled Ophelia out and sexually assaulted her multiple times. She bravely reported these crimes, but Ophelia was never offered any treatment. In her testimony, she describes how this violence has shattered her life.
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Angela is a transgender woman who was repeatedly abused in a Colorado prison. After she reported the abuse, nothing was done to protect her.
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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.
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When I was younger, I used to take walks at night. On several occasions, the same sheriff’s deputy would stop me — asking me friendly questions. But once he realized I was gay, he became threatening.