Search
DONATE

Incarcerated Women: Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Incarceration

“So many folks I encountered in prison had this shared baseline of trauma. Everybody had some form of violence and hurt and harm that happened before they got there.”

  – Rev. Sharon White-Harrigan, Executive Director, Women’s Community Justice Association  

Download the full infographic

Download

Incarcerated Women: Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Incarceration highlights the inextricable link between interpersonal violence and women’s incarceration, details how trauma and abuse form direct pathways to criminalization, and presents the progress and challenges of the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA). The DVSJA was enacted in 2019 after a 10-year Coalition for Women Prisoners campaign led by currently and formerly incarcerated women. The Act gives judges discretion to sentence domestic violence survivors convicted of crimes related to abuse to significantly shorter prison terms and, in some cases, community-based alternatives instead of incarceration. It also allows survivors currently in prison to apply to the courts for resentencing and earlier release. We hope this infographic will be useful as an educational and advocacy tool for a wide range of audiences, including survivors and other advocates, service providers, educators, and attorneys and other court actors.

“There’s a dichotomy of victim and perpetrator. You’re either guilty or innocent. Our society can’t seem to hold both. And that’s what our justice system does. It doesn’t allow anyone to hold both.”

  – Monica Szlekovics, Project Coordinator, Survivors Justice Project  

Our deep gratitude to the following individuals and organizations for their expert review and contributions: Kathy Boudin, Judy Clark, Michelle Daniel-Jones, Myeshia Hawkins-Taylor, Christina Holdrege, Patrice James, Melissa Mahabir, Serena Martin, Kisha McCoy, Kate Mogulescu, Alan Rosenthal, Anisah Sabur, Patrice Smith, Monica Szlekovics, Sharon White-Harrigan, Survivors Justice Project, and the Criminalized Survivors Program of STEPS to End Family Violence, a program of Rising Ground.

To view the sources on this data or download the print version of this infographic click here

Download

Share this page

Facebook
Twitter
Email

Jess jackson

Executive Director

Jess Jackson is a dynamic and creative professional with expertise in operations, program planning, organizing, and arts-based advocacy, committed to driving meaningful social change by cultivating highly functional organizations and innovative programming. To all aspects of her career, Jess brings a lifelong passion for the arts and a deep commitment to social justice. In summer 2026, Jess became Executive Director of WJP, leading the organization’s strategy, development, programs and partnerships. For 7 years prior, Jess served as WJP Director of Operations & Arts Advocacy, spearheading operations efforts and leading arts-based and culture change initiatives including creative arts programming at two New York women’s prisons. Prior to joining WJP, Jess worked in sales, business management, and arts administration with organizations including Marriott, Google, and the School of Visual Arts. She is known for developing highly impactful initiatives and programs for organizations looking to carry out their work in ways that are more effective, capacious, and values aligned. With a versatile skillset spanning operations, strategy, program planning, organizing, creative project management, and events, Jess brings an interdisciplinary flair to her work, and a dedication to advancing the brilliant work and vision of WJP’s staff and partners. Jess holds a BA from the University of Michigan, lives in Brooklyn with her family, and in her spare time enjoys volunteering with Narrows Botanical Gardens, traveling, reading, writing, and leaning into her creative pursuits.