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Women on the Rise GA prioritizes the stories of survivors because we know that behind so many prison walls are people whose lives have been shaped by violence, harm, and systemic neglect. There is a direct and often overlooked connection between romantic partner abuse and incarceration especially among Black women. Too often, when women survive abuse, their courage is met not with support, but with punishment. Instead of being offered safety and resources, they are criminalized for the ways they fought to protect their own lives.
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Through our More Than a Number campaign, we set out to better understand the pathways that lead women to prison. Our research confirmed what our members and communities have long known: many women serving life sentences in Georgia are also survivors of domestic violence. In far too many cases, this violence was the direct cause of their incarceration. By sharing the stories of these women, we honor their survival, challenge the silence surrounding this issue, and fight for a future where no one is punished for surviving.
We are thrilled that the Georgia Survivor Justice Act is now law! Governor Kemp signed HB 582 in May of 2025, and we are now in a new era in our state where our system better protects survivors from being punished for acting to survive. We are thankful for all of the support and amazing advocacy that has been done on behalf of survivors from the support of our amazing partners in the Survivor Justice Initiative.
SJI promoted and advocated for the passage of HB 582. The Survivor Justice Act updated the criminal code & sentencing statutes, allowing survivors to have the full context of their situation considered at both trial and sentencing. Until the Survivor Justice Act, Georgia's self-defense statute was last amended in 1993; Georgia's coercion statute was last amended in 1968.
