🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a moment to focus national attention on a problem that touches every community in the United States. Domestic violence, however, is a daunting challenge that demands our attention year-round. As a survivor myself, I am deeply committed to a population whose needs are rarely discussed—those whose domestic abuse drives them to commit crimes.
More than 30 years ago, I fatally shot the father of my unborn son during a fight that followed an escalating spiral of violence. My life was forever changed by my act. Convicted of second-degree murder, I received a prison sentence of 19 years to life. When I was finally paroled in 2010, my son had become a young man of 17.
While incarcerated, I feared the worst for my boy, worrying that our relationship would be forever damaged. I worked hard to better myself and be the best mother I could be from afar, and my son and I have a wonderful relationship today. But the journey was not without pain and challenges.
As my years in prison unfolded, I struggled with trauma, a legacy of my abuse. Services were limited and generally withheld from people serving life sentences, but I did all I could to grow and move forward, participating in drug and alcohol treatment, serving as a peer mentor in coping skills classes and working in the mental health clinic—the closest thing I could get to therapy.
Women with similar histories were all around me, many of them also survivors of domestic violence. I later learned that nearly three out of four women in prisons and jails report experiencing intimate partner violence. In addition, a recent survey of women incarcerated for murder or manslaughter found that nearly 70 percent of those with a history of intimate partner violence were in extreme danger of being killed by their partner the year before their offense.
Many women behind bars are also mothers. Research shows that more than half of women in prisons are parents to minor children, and mothers are more than twice as likely as fathers to be the sole or primary caretakers of their children upon their incarceration. Thus, the imprisonment of women often produces ripple effects that destabilize families. Research also shows that children of incarcerated parents are at high risk for experiencing a range of social, economic, educational, criminal justice, and behavioral health challenges. One study of Black families found that children of incarcerated mothers are more likely to be arrested at some point in their lives compared to those with an incarcerated father, and experience significantly more lifetime arrests.
While there have been pockets of progress, most law enforcement officers, judges, correctional officers, and others who interact with justice-involved women lack understanding of the impacts of violence and abuse on women's criminal behavior—or the unique parenting, health, and financial challenges women face while incarcerated and upon release. The need for greater understanding—and support—is tremendous. One survey of more than 600 women in prisons found that nearly one-third of those serving time for murder or manslaughter were protecting themselves or a loved one during the crime that led to their conviction. Intimate partner violence and abuse can also extend beyond physical abuse, exacerbating or leading to poverty and housing instability, further increasing a victim's risk for substance use and crimes related to their economic survival.
I now work alongside currently and formerly incarcerated women and men through my role with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive support and services to those impacted by the justice system. While it's important to recognize and support men who are victims or survivors of interpersonal abuse, we can and must better acknowledge the role domestic violence plays in leading many women into our justice system—and the unique challenges they face when they get there.
Much of my work focuses on addressing these challenges, and is also at the heart of my service on the Women's Justice Commission. Launched by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice and chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the national panel is developing recommendations to better address the needs of justice-involved women while improving safety and justice.
There are many opportunities for progress. Training justice system professionals to recognize the cognitive and emotional impact of traumatic brain injuries caused by intimate partner violence is one key step. Improving the education of parole boards to enhance recognition of how these physical and emotional traumas can drive criminal behavior is another critical need.
Some legislators are already pushing policy reforms that would make a difference. Oklahoma recently passed the Survivors Act, which grants more leniency in the sentencing and resentencing of people whose crimes were motivated by domestic violence, especially those who acted in self-defense.
Many challenges remain as we strive to address domestic violence and support victims, but they are not insurmountable. As we acknowledge survivors and commit to progress, let's resolve to remember women in our criminal justice system, who are all too often overlooked.
Norma Cumpian is assistant deputy director of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and a member of the Council on Criminal Justice Women's Justice Commission.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
