We Are Jane Doe

I’m Jane Doe number one,” is the opening line from Ali Prout.  She tells her never-before-heard story as a woman sent to prison for a non-violent offense in 2023. There, Prout caught the eye of a correctional officer, who used his position and his badge to abuse her.  But that’s only the beginning. Over three episodes, we trace Ali's dramatic fight for justice, and the stunning ripple effects that threaten to upend the system of power and control at Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF), one of the largest women’s prisons on earth. KQED reporters Anna Sussman and Madi Bolaños spent two years investigating this story. They spoke to more than a dozen women incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility, read through hundreds of pages of internal prison documents, obtained leaked audio, and painstakingly watched hours of video footage to reconstruct one of the most complex and devastating use-of-force incidents in state history.    Bolaños, Sussman, and the Jane Does now coming forward are available for interviews. This series contains violence against women, sexual assault, and strong language. Please take care while listening.