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Jim, Pennsylvania

"This is the first time I have said anything about it, and it is still very hard just to admit that I was raped, because the fear of it happening in the first place and when it happened [the fear] that I was going to be killed, but the worst thing is dealing with it . . .

"I learned to deal with it day by day and what helped me in the beginning was another inmate just like me, I asked him about saying something to the staff but he said no you will be labeled as a snitch and when that happens you will have to deal with being raped everyday or until you get killed so he said make up your mind now and I did. I keep my mouth shut."

Robert, Alabama

"In July of 1995 I was transferred from a major institution, to [here] for behavioral reasons. When I arrived here I was placed in a block that was known for violence. That evening I was confronted to participate in homosexual activities and in declining I was attacked. I managed to get away and went to DOC officers without being harmed and I was placed in segregation that night pending investigation. The next morning after what they—the D.O.C.—considered investigating, I was placed back in the exact same block that the incident occurred against my will. This time I didn't prove so lucky in that. The same evening I was placed back in this block I was sexually assaulted. Feeling alone, degraded and in shock with no faith in the protection of the correctional officers and after a night of humiliation, the next day I attempted suicide."

John, Florida

My first night on that cell I heard the most horrible scream I've ever heard in my life, in fact it woke the entire floor up. I asked one of my cell mates, 'What was that?' and he replied, 'That's Casey, they have raped him every night all seven of them.' And true enough that continued every night."

Joe, Colorado

"I was assaulted (beaten up) once…as well as brutally raped in my cell there last February 2002 by an inmate who threatened me with strangulation and forced anal sex on me, which tore many muscles in my anus. I bled for almost three weeks and was not even seen by a doctor until a month later. I reported the assault to the sherriffs running the jail that day and they laughed at me—they saw the blood on my clothes and on the floor of my cell and I even told them who did it. They never wrote an incident report and said I had a bloody nose from the dry air in the cell pod."

Richard, Connecticut

"I complained one time about this matter [sexual harassment] to an officer Lt. and the response that I got from him was—'That's expected in prison.'"

Steven, Florida

"On the day of March 5, 1997, I was using the restroom that night. An inmate walked up behind me and told me I 'would' give up my ass. I stated no I wouldn't. At this point, I was hit in the back of the head, which forced my face into the latrine pipes, bust[ed] open my eyebrow right over my left eye and rendered me unconscious. I was then dragged behind the shower wall and raped by four men. Two of these inmates received outside charges, one was placed on C.M. (close management) and the other was only transferred to a different institution. The charges were dropped on the two who received them."

Mark, Florida

"From the time you get up in the morning until the time you go to bed someone is trying to fondle you, kiss you, molest you or even rape you. Many times these actions are accompanied by verbal threats and outright acts of violence. In the worst situation so far, a young man in his mid-twenties harassed and threatened me for sex as follows, he would put his hands in his pants touching himself and then try placing his hands on my face saying, 'Come on baby, you love this, I just know it, let's have sex.' He would also attack me in the shower or when I was changing my clothes at my bunk—trying to fondle and molest me. Sometimes he would sneak up on me and flick his cigarette lighter in my face trying to burn me because I would not cooperate with his sexual advances. I would always fight him off the best I could but he was much bigger than I was."

Albert, Nevada

"Within my first six months I was raped, assaulted and robbed. I lost my grandfather's wedding ring and necklace given to me on my wedding day, who's since passed away. I spent 12 days in the hospital and lost all self-respect, dignity and my manhood. Not to mention the total indifference by staff. I have suffered the ridicule and indignation by inmates alike, who openly feel people deserve whatever happens, and as such [they believe] I allowed it—or worse—I wanted it. . . ."

Michael, Texas

"I went to shower at what I thought was a safe time… As I left the shower area I was grabbed from behind and again beaten and gang raped [like before]. I again attempted suicide, this time I spent four days in I.C.U. I was then transferred back to the psychiatric unit. I was ensured that I would not be returned to the same unit but 16 months later I was."

Don, Alabama

"Even though we've been convicted of crimes, we're still human . . ."

The names of prisoners and institutions have been changed or excluded to protect the identity of inmates.