Name: I’m a domestic violence advocate, and I support State Question 805 | by Molly Bryant | Medium
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I’m a domestic violence advocate, and I support State Question 805 | by Molly Bryant | Medium

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*All statements are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinons of my employer*Over the past year, I have been in conversations with other social workers and domestic violence advocates where we were able to discuss the nuances of State Question 805 and bring our varying experiences as advocates and as survivors to the table. I have also been mansplained by District Attorneys who told me on a statewide conference call that I must not know what I’m talking about if I support 805, listened to recordings of meetings where colleagues talked about me and said I was too close to criminal justice reform advocates (I’m married to one but don’t share the same brain, surprisingly), and I’ve been named as a radical, one not to be trusted. It’s heartbreaking that this black and white narrative around 805 has worked so well to divide domestic violence advocates while shifting our focus away from survivors toward aligning with the right power.The debate about 805 and domestic violence is based on a false narrative pushed by some District Attorneys that more carceral punishment is the only adequate response to violence. I support 805 not because it’s a perfect law, but because it will bring us closer to a system that prioritizes the needs and wishes of survivors rather than the retributive power of prosecutors.What is SQ 805? SQ 805 would not allow a person convincted of a crime to have their sentence enhanced, or lengthened, due to past non-violent criminal convinctions. All violent crimes, as of January 2020, can still be used to enhance a crime; however, domestic violence was not added to the violent crimes list until May 2020, thus past domestic violence convictions are not eligible for sentence enhancements on current convictions.How could we have avoided this mess? It should not have taken until May 2020 for the Oklahoma Legislature to add Domestic Violence to the Violent Crimes list. If they had done this anytime before January 2020 — let’s say, in the 1990's?- then State Question 805 would not have been opposed by so many domestic violence agencies. That’s something that no one seems to want to mention . . .Why does this matter for domestic violence? Many state domestic violence agencies are opposed to 805 for legitimate reasons. Some of my most beloved colleagues have spent decades working tirelessly to legitimize the crime of domestic violence from “family matter” to an actual, real crime against a person and community. They had to fight for people to even take domestic violence seriously enough to make it a crime! It would be gut-wrenching to know how long you’ve fought and how far we’ve come and then suddenly shift away from that strategy without every reaching the end goal (accountability from the justice system). It makes absolute sense to me why many of my colleagues and mentors would disagree with me and would find it hard to turn their backs on this strategy of justice-based accountablity. Most importantly, some survivors want their abusers locked up — clean and simple. We’re a survivor-led movement, so that’s the most legitimate reason to have justice-involved options for survivors.Why am I supporting 805? Survivors of color (Beth Richie, Mimi Kim, Angela Ritchie, etc.) have long warned mainstream domestic violence movements to steer clear of labeling the criminal legal system as the only valid source of accountability for abusers, a system that often perpetuates violence in the name of rehabilitation.Even if prosecution rates were higher, incarceration wouldn’t and hasn’t solved the problem of domestic violence. Prison tends to exacerbate sexist attitudes, and those who go to prison for domestic violence are forced to become tougher and more aggressive to survive (Freeland Braun, 2012). There are no domestic violence abuse programs in Oklahoma prisons. Prison puts a pause on the act of domestic violence, but it doesn’t end the cycle of domestic violence. This means once they are released, many come out angrier and more violent, not less (Freeland Braun, 2012). And so the cycle continues.Sometimes I have a client that only wants and needs their abuser to be taken away by police and locked up in jail. They need immediate safety and separation, and with all the tools in their toolbox, the only thing left is police intervention. Despite that need for safety and separation, I have never heard a survivor say that they wanted their abuser go to prison for decades of their lives, never get help for their own trauma, come out even angrier, not be able to find a job, and potentially harm someone else. Ever. I’m sure someone has said that at some point, but it isn’t common.Also! Also! If I could draw a big red heart around this paragraph, I would. A majority of women in Oklahoma prisons are survivors — if Oklahoma believes in advocating for survivors of domestic violence, this means all survivors, whether or not they are the “perfect victim” as I’ve heard District Attorneys identify them. Two-thirds of women in prison in Oklahoma are survivors of domestic violence (Sharp, Jones, &amp; McLeod, 2014). I have worked with survivors who were sentenced to prison for protecting themselves from their abusers or fighting back, but the most common reason women end up in prison in Oklahoma is for drug possession, which is a common coping mechanism to abuse — a way to dull the pain and escape a traumatic reality. Survivors are imprisoned in Oklahoma for their survivorship. SQ 805 would prevent them from sentence enhancements for past crimes of survivorship like drug possession or even fighting back after years of taking the abuse.So what’s the answer then? SQ 805 is not the answer to ending violence in our community, but it is a step in the right direction. Any move away from carceral systems that perpetuate violence, isolate people from their support systems, and exaccerbate poverty is progress. If we truly want real, long-term solutions to these deep, systemic issues, Oklahoma needs to invest in evidence-based prevention (universal childcare, paid family leave, affordable housing, sex education) and community-based interventions that encourage healing and dignity for all people (Goodmark, 2018).All of this more nuanced and complex than can be put into a Medium blog — or op-ed, or local news clip, or Pat Campbell radio show. But it needs to be said that we can support criminal justice reform and State Question 805 and still be the fiercest, most loyal domestic violence advocates. I consider it an honor to be able to see humanity in all people. I only hope that those in power (aside from hoping they learn how to access databases with evidence-based research and reliable data and use that information instead of assumptions to support confirmation bias) — those District Attorneys shouting that I must not really care about the safety of survivors would learn to see my humanity, the humanity of survivors in prison, and the humanity of those who have hurt them. It’s long overdue that we invest in people not prisons.Want to know more about alternatives to the carceral system? Here’s some resources!Book Recommendations:ReferencesFreeland Braun, M.J. (2012). “Intimate Partner Violence During the Transition from Prison to the Community: An Ecological Analysis.” Dissertations and Theses. Paper 511. Goodmark, L. (2018). Decriminalizing Domestic Violence: A Balanced Policy Approach to Intimate Partner Violence. Oakland, California: University of California Press.Sharp, S., Jones, M., &amp; McLeod, D. (2014). “Oklahoma Study of Incarcerated Mothers and Their Children.” University of Oklahoma. Retrieved from Cherokee-Okie-Social worker.Love podcasts or audiobooks? Learn on the go with our new app.ininininCherokee-Okie-Social worker.

*All statements are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinons of my employer*Over the past year, I have been in conversations with other social workers and domestic violence advocates where we were able to discuss the nuances of State Question 805 and bring our varying experiences as advocates and as survivors to the table. I have also been mansplained by District Attorneys who told me on a statewide conference call that I must not know what I’m talking about if I support 805, listened to recordings of meetings where colleagues talked about me and said I was too close to criminal...

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Molly Bryant

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I’m a domestic violence advocate, and I support State Question 805 | by Molly Bryant | Medium

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