St. Louis, MO (September 1, 2026) – A recent report by Missouri Appleseed collected the stories of formerly incarcerated women who experienced domestic violence prior to their convictions.
The report illustrates how justified fear of their abusers led many women to commit crimes of survival. Ongoing violence and coercion creates a need for survival strategies to protect themselves and their children from abusers. While facing a life-or-death situation one woman described her decision-making, “Everyone should be held accountable for their choices. However, I think that it should be taken into consideration that, if it’s between life and death, I’m going to choose life.”
The interviewees’ ages ranged from 22 to 54 years old. Their time in prison and crimes committed varied. One woman attended drug court, another woman spent 14 years in prison for second-degree murder. Each of them offered valuable perspectives on how experiences of abuse impact incarceration.
Survival strategies, coercion, distorted decision-making processes, abuse recognition, substance use, and betrayal by the criminal justice system are all recurring themes that emerged during the story banking process.
The full report, “Survivors’ Justice Project Story Banking Report,” is available online on Missouri Appleseed’s website. Missouri Appleseed plans to release a survey in coordination with the Department of Corrections exploring the number of incarcerated women who are domestic violence survivors.
“Story banking is an important component of our Survivors’ Justice Project. Stories reinforce the importance of understanding the whole context of a survivor’s experiences and the role that abuse and coercion can play in the circumstances that lead to incarceration,” said Rachel Sorensen, Survivors’ Justice Project Manager. “This understanding is essential to creating a justice system that is both accountable and fair.”
Media Contact:
Katie Quinn
kquinn@appleseednetwork.org or 636-579-7642
