"I am 32 years old. I should point out that I am an MTF transsexual. I only recently became aware of my having this mental health disorder, and that it is only temporary until it is determined if I actually have an intersex condition...It compounded the problems I am relating here as no matter what I tried to do to hide it, a lot of males tended to see me in a feminine light, and acted as if it was my obligation to be subjugated to them as a result. I have been incarcerated here in Wyoming for eight years or so now. I am incarcerated for stealing automobiles and escaping custody. This is the second time I have been incarcerated...In each of these terms of imprisonment, I have experienced high levels of unwanted sexual attention.

"During my childhood, I experienced physical and emotional abuse and neglect. I also have been molested by a 21-year-old woman, and later in my life by a 55-year-old man whom I will refer to as Bob in this. The latter carried over from adolescence into adulthood. It ended mostly because I had been arrested and sent to jail at age 18. This was for the original charge of Burglary. I was first housed in a holding cell in the processing area of the jail.

"...Later I would be moved to a general population cell block...The first night I had been in the block, I had put my belongings under my mattress in the Day Room area where I planned to sleep on the floor. During the night, someone went underneath the mattress while I was sleeping and stole all of the cigarettes I had. The next day, I expressed my displeasure about having been stole from, but that did not result in the cigarettes being returned.

"Two black males had approached me after this and suggested I keep my things in their cell so that nothing else would come up missing, and that I could move my mattress to the floor of their cell. I did this thinking it would be a viable solution to my problems. They also offered to help me with cigarettes until I was able to order some from the commissary. During this time I was at the jail, Bob cam to visit me. He also sent me money while I was in the jail. I had paid back the cigarettes that the two black inmates had given me. Soon after this, they began borrowing cigarettes from me saying that their people were behind in sending money.

"After Bob had visited a few times, the two black inmates began questioning me about my relationship/ties to Bob. I said he was just a friend of mine, and looked out for me. A little while after this, one of the two black inmates began seeking to have sex with me. This was done in front of the other one in the cell we were all in. They also began trying to convince me that it would be ok, and that they knew that Bob had been intimate with me in the past, so it wasn't like I had never been had that way before. Then they claimed that they had been protecting me and looking out for me, now it was my turn to repay them. The one who was propositioning this was the only one of the two who actually wanted to have intercourse with me.

"Somehow or another, the block next door to us flooded our block causing the toilets to back up. The whole thing caused the Jailers to lock down both blocks after we had the mess cleaned up. While locked down the one black male who had approached me caused me to go to the back of the cell and stand in the corner, while he moved up behind me, pulled my clothing down and held me into the corner while he penetrated me. When it was over, he told me not to tell anyone, etc. This happened in full view of the other black inmate in the cell. A day or two later, the black male who had done this bonded out.

"This left me in the cell with the other one for a time. I learned from him that the guy who left had been the one who had taken my cigarettes, and that he had intended all of this to occur when he laid eyes on me. He also informed me that had I not gave in, they intended to forcibly take me.

"Their size alone was one of the reasons I decided that fighting them was an impossibility. I am only 5'10" and at that time only weighed about 130 lbs. At 18 I still was unable to grow facial hair. This, my size, and the feminine-type traits I exhibited were what had attracted them to me this way. It also gave them confidence that I could easily be manhandled by them if necessary.

"I had related what happened to a friend of mine from school, and she convinced her parents to bond me out. I stayed with them for a while until the time of my sentencing hearing. The sentence was 1 1/2 years on Work Release at the jail. My friend and her family had been very supportive of me during this time.

"After I had been back at the jail for a while on the work-release program, I saw one of the inmates who was in the background of what had happened to me previously...I was afraid that this inmate would go tell all of the other inmates what had happened to me. I panicked and ran away from the jail soon after this. I drove my friend's parents car as far as Virginia where I abandoned it.

"About 3 months later, I was rearrested and extradited back to jail in Indiana. I was rehoused in the same block as before...I had only been there for two days or so before another black male attacked me in my sleep and broke my nose in the process of physically assaulting me. His reason for assaulting me was he did not like homosexuals. It was at this point I realized the other inmate had related what I had been involved with to others in the block. I spent some time in isolation after this assault, and as far as I know, nothing was done to the inmate who attacked me. I was too afraid to press the issue. I also was not provided with any medical treatment for the broken nose by the jail other than a nurse who said I would be all right after the bleeding ceased, so there was no need to take me to a hospital.

"[After several cell block changes], [t]he jail officials then placed me in another block where there were more white males. One of the Black males in this block approached me for sexual favors as he knew about what I had been involved in before also. Because I had no where to go, I capitulated to his advances for the time until I could manufacture a way to be moved from the block. I am not positive now, but I think this also had to be done through my attorney at the time also. I finally ended up in the last block on the fifth floor of the jail."

"[After several more cell changes], [m]y permanent housing assignment was determined to be in N-dorm on the IC yard where I was celled with a black male. I learned that he intended to have sex with me, regardless of how I felt about it. This black male was able to manipulate where I was housed since it was first learned I would be coming to Westville. I had apparently been housed with this black male after he paid somebody a carton of cigarettes for me. I did go to security staff and told them he was pressing me to have sex with him. Originally, they did nothing. I again went back to the officers, and this time they questioned the black male and told him I had gone to them. They did not move me. I again went to them and requested to be moved. This resulted in my being moved across the hall and down one cell from my original assignment. I was housed with a white male. This person learned that the black male and members of his gang affiliation were going to come for me, and confirmed the threat that had been made to me by them was going to be carried out. He told me about it, and I then went to the administration area of the IC yard and related my situation to the Lieutenant. I requested placement in protective custody over this problem, but initially was refused. I do not recall exactly what I had to do to get them to change their minds, but remember threatening to refuse to go back to N-dorm. They subsequently moved me to 7-dorm of the GSC complex."

- Donald, Wyoming