As Program Manager for the Survivors’ Justice Project, I am striving to share and elevate the stories of domestic violence survivors and ensure fair sentencing for those who are criminalized. With the support of Patty Berger, President and Founder of All of Us or None – St. Louis, we interviewed eleven women who were incarcerated in connection with their experiences of domestic abuse and coercion. These survivors spoke openly and candidly about what they had endured, sharing experiences that were often difficult to hear and process.
What was particularly difficult to reconcile was the extent to which abuse and coercion shaped the circumstances that ultimately led to their incarceration. These conversations demonstrated that criminalized survivors are willing to share very personal experiences when they can speak with trusted individuals in a supportive environment. They also revealed how significant coercion can be in abusive relationships that ultimately result in criminalization and incarceration. Several women described situations in which they protected their abusive partners, resulting in them accepting criminal consequences. In many cases, the individuals who abused them either avoided incarceration altogether or received significantly shorter sentences.
A consistent theme throughout these conversations was a desire to be understood. These women want others to understand the circumstances that distorted their decision-making processes. Many described their actions as attempts to protect themselves or survive, and some reflected that their incarceration ultimately saved their lives. They recognize that they committed crimes and are not opposed to accountability and serving prison sentences. At the same time, they express a desire to see greater understanding and reduced sentences for other survivors whose lives and futures have been profoundly affected by abuse and coercion. As one of the clearest lessons from these conversations, their stories demonstrated that
accountability and compassion are not mutually exclusive.
My own reality is vastly different from that of the survivors I interviewed. For many people, jails, prisons, and incarceration are distant from their everyday lives. These conversations challenged that distance for me. It took time to emotionally and psychologically process the realities these women had lived through. While these women were held accountable for crimes they committed, their stories made clear that the circumstances surrounding those crimes cannot be separated from the abuse, coercion, and survival strategies that shaped their lives. Different circumstances might have led many of them down entirely different paths.
I finished these conversations feeling strongly aware that I can move on with my life and work, whereas survivors who are criminalized must carry the lasting effects of their incarceration and the abuse they suffered. Their stories highlighted how deeply an abuser’s actions can influence a survivor’s life long after the abuse stops.
This story banking is an important component of our Survivors’ Justice Project. These 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. This understanding is essential to creating a justice system that is both accountable and fair.
