“The pain was so bad from the rape that I turned to alcohol and drugs. I ended up in the street. I lived in a car for ten years. I was in the gutter for 20 years. The pain was so bad that I wanted to kill myself every day.” - David
Prisoner rape is a crime and a human rights violation. Yet every year well over 200,000 adults and children in U.S. detention are sexually abused. In most cases, the perpetrators are corrections staff -- officials whose very job it is to keep inmates safe.
For its victims, prisoner rape is a nightmare that does not end. Most survivors are sexually abused again and again. Abusive staff and inmates target people they see as most vulnerable, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender detainees and those who survived sexual abuse prior to being detained.
“Because I was raped, I got labeled as a ‘faggot.’ Everyone looked at me like I was a target. It opened the door for a lot of other predators. Even the administrators thought it was okay for a ‘faggot’ to be raped. They said, ‘Oh, you must like it.’ I’m here to tell you that no one wants to be raped.” - Bryson
Prisoner rape survivors suffer serious emotional and physical consequences. They are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and drug addictions, as well as contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Sexual abuse in detention is a global human rights crisis and JDI’s efforts extend beyond the U.S., including to South Africa where prisons are plagued by abuse and survivors run dramatic risks of contracting HIV.
Now the good news: prisoner rape is preventable. Prisons and jails with committed leaders, good policies, and sound practices can keep inmates safe.
JDI develops laws and policies, works with corrections facilities to train staff and educate inmates, and provides information and referrals to hundreds of prisoner rape survivors every year.
When the government removes someone’s freedom, it takes on an absolute responsibility to keep that person safe. No matter what crime someone has committed, rape is not part of the penalty.
“I’m still here because of JDI, because after my rape, since I could not find help or support I was going to kill myself. I have been abused most of my life, but you helped me hang in there by sending the information that you did. Keep up the fight for all of us who need you!” - Catherine