Elizabeth Lozano, a survivor of sexual assault while incarcerated, calls for California to release prisoners assaulted by staff. - At least 1 in 4 women in the U.S.
are survivors of sexual assault; Lozano is one of them. - A leaked 2024 video showed guards retaliating with pepper spray against women who filed sexual misconduct grievances at California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla.
- A guard was sentenced to 224 years for assaulting at least nine women, but Lozano says survivors still face abusers daily. - A 2024 statewide working group recommended releasing survivors to protect them from retaliation and further violence.
Lozano argues that California must update policy to allow release after assault by staff, as survivors cannot be safe inside.