‘Words of Hope’ Campaign Provides Support for LGBT Survivors of Prison Rape Through Letter Writing

“Words of Hope” is a campaign spearheaded by Just Detention International that aims to remind survivors of prison rape that they are not alone or forgotten.

Words of Hope” brings comfort to some of the most marginalized people in the U.S. — survivors of rape in prison. Since the campaign began in 2010, many survivors have told Just Detention International that the holiday messages have been transformative, showing them that people on the outside really do care. I know that writing a holiday card may seem like small gesture, but the impact is huge for incarcerated survivors — who are often completely cut off from friends and family, who may be forced to see their perpetrator every single day and who may not have received any mail for months — or even years. It’s hard for those of us on the outside to imagine it, but this is the reality for survivors of rape in prison.