The Movement to End Sexual Abuse Behind Bars: A JDI Virtual Series

Sexual abuse in detention is a nationwide crisis – but it’s a crisis we can end. In this three-part event series, Just Detention International offers an inside look at the movement to ensure the safety and dignity of incarcerated people. Each of the hour-long virtual sessions will highlight key people behind the effort to stop sexual abuse behind bars: the anti-rape advocates, human rights activists, and especially the prisoner rape survivors, who spoke out against this violence when few had the courage to do so. This series coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), the landmark federal legislation that was the result of decades of survivor-led advocacy.

August 23, 1pm-2pm. EST. Part 1: The Courage of Survivors. This session will feature formerly incarcerated survivors who spoke out against rape behind bars, paving the way for the passage of PREA, the historic federal law that brought this crisis out of the shadows. Register here.

August 30, 1pm-2pm, EST. Part 2: No Bad Victims. This session will highlight advocates who provide services behind bars and who — by insisting that survivors in detention are as worthy of support as any others — have brought hope and healing to countless incarcerated people. Register here.

September 6, 1pm-2pm EST. Part 3: Rape is Not Part of the Penalty. This session will examine the future of the fight to end prisoner rape, and how this movement fits within the struggles for racial equity, transgender rights, and abolition. Register here.