For me, the new standards are a dream come true. When I was raped, it shattered my life. No one cared – until I talked to JDI. Finding out that I wasn’t alone gave me the strength to speak out and help others.



Many of us have been fighting for these regulations for years, and at times it felt as if we would never win. Now that the standards have at last been released, I can finally celebrate. I know that I have made a difference for people who are still in custody and going through some pain of their own.

The standards aren’t perfect, but they will save lives. Detention facilities are now required to provide safe housing for those most at risk of sexual abuse. They also must allow survivors to get urgent medical treatment and counseling. And if a facility fails to protect inmates, as L.A. County Jail failed to protect me, it is far more likely to be held accountable.

If the standards had been in place in 2006, my abuse could have been prevented. I can’t change what happened to me, but I’m proud to have helped make sure no one else will have to go through what I did, ever.