**WARNING this massage contains language and incidents of abuse and maybe triggering to those who have like Demi endured trauma.

January 23, 2024

Dear Ms. Kuhn
Prior to writing this massage, I have sought help from Special Victims Unit, Special Investigation Division, I have sought help from my institutional PREA manager and from numerous staff of various ranks. Despite my best efforts, my concerns have not been resolved and some of them are relative to my safety and rights under PREA. I have been threatened with solitary and lost of jpay if I report the abuse.

There is no doubt that many of my concerns have not made it towards your desk, Because NSP tries to keep things in-house and than contort the facts. So I will start by informing you that the PREA Compliance Unit and Northern state prison, have decided that all the make-up I had purchased from Edna Mahan Coectional Facility is not allowed here at Northern, this is despite the fact that I’ve had it for years. They are now going to force me to throw it away, since I have no family to send it to.

After having several inmates expose themselves to me, and after being repeatedly propositioned for sex by inmates, I did report the conduct to SID and several custody staff. Another Inmate exposed him self in the traffic control area sayting “Bitch you got titties, come here so you can taste this”.

The worst part was the pat searches by male staff who, grabbed my breast claiming they thought it was concealed contraband. Than in another incident a staff member violently grabbed my breast while saying ” this some bullshit…my tax payer dollars going towards this shit” the staff member begun reaching in my waistband saying I was not a female this entire incident was captured on camers.

On January 2, 2024 staff came to my cell at 6 am yelling “get the fuck up” “don’t try that faggot stuff” shut the fuck up and face forward…With tears in my eyes I told the officers I required a female to pat search me..He became upset yelling “Aye sergeant what do you want to do with this ” he-she”… The sergeant stood by smiling.

Subsequently my cell was ransacked, make-up palette broken, and I was escorted off my unit in 30 degree weather with no panies or Bra on, Just sleep wear, No sneekers. I was escorted into Northern State Prison Education Department where I was told “face the fucking wall”. The teachers and just about everyone laughed while I stood damn near naked in the education department, being humiliated by officer’s.

Prior to this situation, a custody sergeant came to my unit and became upset after I asked him about filing a PREA complaint, he begun yelling at me, saying he would get me raped and beat up. Feeling threatened, I immediately got on my knees and turned away from him, yet he still stood over me degrading me and trying to provoke me. Deescalation? Where ???

Ms. Kuhn, this prison tries to keep things in-house, yet the reality is that the abuse and concerns are only getting worst. Nothing is being fixed in-house. I am a college student, I have not received any disciplinary charge while here at this prison. Hence, there is no legitimate reason for staff to treat me like this.

They now have shower curtains that are clear, I am the only IP who after undergoing Breast Augmentation was placed in a male facility. So the precautions taken for me should be of that to ensure that my privacy is not being violated.

The clear shower curtains are not PREA complaint, they expose me to voyerism and unwanted sexual harassment and comments. I tried to explain this to NSP administration and they threatened to give me displanry charges. This issue has been persisting for about 3 months.

Again I went from a 36a to a 40 D in Bra size hence I do Believe that these things are of concern. Yet the PREA compliance unit, has basically denied every request from me, and for accommodations.

These accommodation request have included being permitted a separate time (As Determined by staff) for me to shower, so that I was not being forced to shower when there are nearly 50 inmates Out. and the request to purchase supportive bras which also are now denied. The PREA compliance unit, has no understanding of the safety of transgender women within the male prisons. Hence, as a transgender who has undergone Breast surgery, yaw may never understand what its like to be tormented like this.

Your staff are unable to see what’s going on, I pray that yaw change things because no inmate deserves to live-like this. Where now my administration is threatening to give me disciplinary charges simple for informing them of these PREA concerns.

I am simply asking for someone to investigate these concerns Please come see these issue for your self, because as a victim to this sexual abuse, the administration here has made me feel like I am a liar, or as if these issues are my fault, when the reality is that central offices placed me (a female inmate, with breast augmentation provided by DOC) in a male facility.

Prior to coming to NSP, Ms. Fathom Borg (Former NSP Administrator) explained to me that it was not safe in this prison, and that PREA was taken as a joke. At this time I was already enrolled in college at Garden State, and had been denied a transfer to Northern State prison. Thus I was not aware of this transfer, yet I complied with the order for me to transfer. All I am asking for now is for staff to launch a thorough investigation into the dangerous conditions and disregard for sexual abuse standards

Sincerely,
Demi Grace-Minor