⚠️ Warning: Distressing themes ⚠️ For years, they had to remain silent about being sexually abused while incarcerated. Now, a New York law is giving survivors one year to seek justice.
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00:00We're talking about women who don't have a choice.
00:04You're a survivor of sexual abuse.
00:08The new Adult Survivors Act gives you one year window to file suit.
00:13One year. So act now.
00:16There was a young lady under the desk.
00:18Julie's talking about experiencing.
00:20Giving fully talk to the officer.
00:22She did 22 years.
00:24If they say no, if they shout out, if they report it,
00:27they face very grave consequences many times.
00:31The bill signed by the governor today gives them one year to file.
00:34They can come forth with their story without fear of retribution.
00:39They were sexually abused.
00:41They lost their dignity.
00:43They lost their privacy.
00:45And their story is told here.
00:48Hundreds of people who were formerly incarcerated
00:58have accused New York State employees, such as prison guards,
01:01of sexual abuse while in prison.
01:03They're not able to sue the state through the Adult Survivors Act,
01:06regardless of the statute of limitations.
01:09For Brute, I met with one of them.
01:12I grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
01:15When I was 14, I went to foster care.
01:17At 22, I was in prison.
01:19So I had a lot of issues with trauma.
01:22I was incarcerated from the years 2002 to 2020.
01:29It's just, like, a place that people don't want to be
01:34or I think people should be.
01:36When I was two years into my sentence,
01:39I wasn't even sentenced yet.
01:41I still thought I had a chance to go home, possibly.
01:44But there was a woman, and she told me
01:49that I would have a hard time because I don't listen.
01:54She said, Jennifer, you don't listen.
01:59You're going to have a hard time.
02:01And if an officer tells you to get on your knees
02:05and suck his d***, you better do it.
02:08Because if you don't, that's a ticket.
02:15My name is Anna Call, and I'm a survivor's rights attorney.
02:19Bayview Correctional Facility was an all-women's prison
02:22in Chelsea, New York.
02:24During the time that it was open, you know,
02:27thousands of women were in prison there over the years,
02:30and they experienced what one can only imagine,
02:36a complete nightmare.
02:38I was in prison, and it was unconsensual
02:41because I'm an inmate.
02:43I was an inmate.
02:44So no matter what, it's like 100%
02:47is always going to be unconsensual.
02:49They were desperate to go home,
02:51desperate to get back to their families,
02:53start their lives over.
02:55And what ended up happening was,
02:58during the time they were at Bayview,
03:00they were sexually assaulted by multiple correctional officers
03:04who were tasked with supervising them.
03:07When it came to sexual assault,
03:10our laws were protecting the abusers more.
03:14The challenge is letting them know that
03:17now is the time that they have to do something about it.
03:20But it's a limited window.
03:21It's a limited amount of time.
03:23And that's why this is so important.
03:25It's important that women know the rights that they have
03:28before they lose them again.
03:34This is the ASA thing.
03:36High rates of sexual abuse of women in prison by officers
03:41is no secret.
03:43The new Adult Survivors Act gives you one year window
03:47to file suit.
03:49One year.
03:50So act now.
03:52We sat down like here, right here in this office,
03:55and I had my laptop,
03:57and I was having her go through the intake.
04:00And I knew right away she qualified for the case
04:03and that we wanted to move forward.
04:05But my main goal was for her to feel comforted and safe
04:10because it's such a vulnerable experience.
04:13It has been that people in my circumstance,
04:19it feels like you're guilty of doing something wrong.
04:23So a lot of that is guilt,
04:27and a lot of it you have to keep it silent
04:31because if you didn't,
04:34you will face more, more everything,
04:38more punishments behind it, period.
04:42So many of my clients tell me,
04:45I'm scared to talk about this because it traumatizes me.
04:49It's re-traumatizing every time I bring it up,
04:51every time I dig into that.
04:53So you're not alone in feeling that,
04:56and part of what we do here,
04:59we're litigating your case with you and for you,
05:01but we're also here to support you,
05:03and that's a big part of the whole process.
05:05It's very empowering, and that's why I want other women,
05:08other survivors, whoever,
05:10just to know that they can be also empowered
05:14to even speak their story
05:16because before we couldn't do that.
05:19You have so much that you can transform,
05:23and you're doing it,
05:24and we are privileged to sit and watch it happen.
05:28So thank you.
05:30Are you okay?
05:32Yeah.
05:33Let me get you a tissue.
05:34Are we good here?
05:35Yeah.
05:40Jennifer Fakou's case could take years to fully litigate
05:42and could be worth millions.
05:44The firm currently has over 250 cases similar to Jennifer's.
05:51Julie, you want to come over here?
05:53I'm going to do a TikTok today.
05:55Hey!
05:58Looks like we're 10 feet apart.
06:00Okay.
06:02You wasn't even going to see me.
06:04That was funny.
06:06Okay.
06:09Hello.
06:10Julie is reciting her poem today.
06:13It's called All I Ever Wanted.
06:16All right, Julie.
06:17All I ever wanted was to be held.
06:20All I ever got was broken like a nutshell.
06:23All I ever wanted was to have a family.
06:26All I ever got was separated unconditionally.
06:29All I ever wanted was justice without a price.
06:32All I ever got was raped with a smile.
06:34All I ever got still lies in front of me.
06:37All I ever wanted was to be free.
06:39Then I landed in a place actually called prison,
06:41and behold, the new me.
06:47Jennifer is a special client because she's a survivor.
06:51She's a fighter.
06:52She's turned something really awful that's happened to her
06:55into something very positive and constructive.
06:58Her continued outreach into the community
07:02of formerly incarcerated women,
07:04including currently incarcerated women,
07:07I think helps spread hope among those communities.
07:12She gives back to those communities,
07:14and she's always looking for a way
07:16to make herself a stronger, better person.
07:19I find that very admirable given her circumstances,
07:22and I'm hoping that in sharing her story,
07:25other similarly situated women can find hope
07:28in knowing that there is a chance for change.
07:31There is a chance for justice.