Survivor Stories
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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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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A transgender woman serving time in a men’s prison in Oklahoma, Heather* has been regularly subjected to degrading and abusive cross-gender strip searches.
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Kevin is a survivor of countless sexual assaults, including a gang-rape at knifepoint. He does not feel safe in general population.
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Joe is an openly gay man living with HIV. While at a California state prison, he was raped at knifepoint multiple times by his cellmate.
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Ernest was sexually abused repeatedly by another prisoner while serving time in a Florida prison. Instead of giving him help, prison officials put Ernest in solitary confinement.