Violence Survivors Who are Imprisoned
It may come as no surprise to learn that many women in prison have a history of being victimized by intimate partner violence. In time, these women eventually were convicted of murder or manslaughter. One woman stabbed a former boyfriend after being stalked for years. Another woman killed her partner, after he repeatedly raped and beat her, even after she reported abuse to police on multiple occasions. In some cases, women say they have been imprisoned after assisting an abuser in a criminal endeavor, afraid of the abuser’s reaction if they refused. Some women were penalized because they failed to protect their children from deadly abuse. Some states—including Florida—punish parents who put children in dangerous situations with felony charges. Across America, at least 100 women have been sent to prisons for accomplice liability or failure to protect.
“Forgotten Women”
Andrea Cimino, a Stanford University researcher, calls those who are imprisoned due to actions they took to survive domestic violence the forgotten women. She believes that the courts have failed to speak to the realities of life for these women. She says the reasons that these women commit violent acts themselves is a result of their victimization. Nearly three of every four imprisoned women surveyed report having suffered extreme violence at the hands of an intimate partner within a year of their own offences. Stories of women suffering emotional, physical, sexual, and financial attacks and living in fear have been overlooked by prosecutors, courts, and policies for far too long.
Senator Cory Booker concurs, observing that because the majority of incarcerated women have at some time been victims of sexual violence, society has a duty to both do more to protect women from such violence, and do more to support survivors of violence in their efforts to find safety and peace. Prisons and jails should provide programs to help heal these women rather than simply heightening their trauma.
Alarming Findings
The Stanford study, which focused on imprisoned women, describes some truly distressing findings:
- About one in three incarcerated women were choked or strangled multiple times– to the point of dizziness or blacking out. These events can result in traumatic brain injuries.
- The rate of intimate partner violence for women who are incarcerated is roughly ten times greater than it is for the general population.
- Victims of domestic violence perceive higher rates of income and gender bias than women who have not experienced such abuse.
- When a woman is at imminent risk of being murdered, that danger encompasses all members of the household.
Defending Women
The dedicated Miami criminal defense attorneys at The Law Office of Julia Kefalinos understand the connections between intimate partner violence and future criminal involvement. We fight to bring all the facts to the table in a criminal case, always fighting for the best possible outcomes for our clients. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Miami office today.
Source:
themarshallproject.org/2024/09/14/california-women-prison-domestic-abuse
