Data, Policy, and Experience: Justice-Involved Women and Domestic Violence

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Domestic violence (DV) is a pervasive and often hidden crisis that disproportionately impacts women and is a key pathway into the criminal justice system. Women who experience DV are frequently criminalized as a result of trauma and survival strategies—often through acts of self-defense or involvement in coercive relationships. While awareness of these dynamics has grown, significant gaps remain in addressing the unique pathways, traumas, and systemic challenges faced by DV survivors. To advance survivor-centered policies, the Council on Criminal Justice’s Women’s Justice Commission has convened this panel of commissioners and experts to present emerging research and methodologies. This panel will deepen understanding of the distinct risks and barriers confronting justice-involved women, particularly those who are DV survivors. Presentations will explore the role of firearms in coercion and the barriers they create for self-defense, a novel methodology to estimate the hidden prevalence of aggravated DV, and the lived experiences of women incarcerated for intimate partner violence-related homicides. The concluding presentation examines women’s dual identities as both survivors and defendants, underscoring the urgent need for policies tailored to their realities. This panel strengthens the case for reforms that recognize survivors’ complex experiences and promote justice system responses grounded in healing, equity, and accountability.

Sub Unit

• Area IV. Correlates of Crime / 34. Bullying, Harassment, and Abuse

Individual Presentations

• Firearms and Domestic Violence: Understanding Survivor Experiences - Marium Durrani, National Domestic Violence Hotline

• Estimating Domestic Violence Trends: Addressing Underreporting for More Accurate Crime Data - Alex R. Piquero, University of Miami; Andrew Wheeler, CRIME De-Coder; Stephanie C. Kennedy, Council on Criminal Justice

• Fatal Peril: Traumatic Brain Injury and Mental Health Among Women Incarcerated for Intimate Partner Violence-Related Homicide - Andrea Cimino, Stanford Criminal Justice Center, Stanford Law School; Debbie Mukamal, Stanford Criminal Justice Center, Stanford Law School

• From Victim to Defendant: Rethinking Survivor Policy - Lisel Petis, R Street Institute

Discussant

• Stephanie C. Kennedy, Council on Criminal Justice

Organized by a Division or external group?

The Council on Criminal Justice's Women's Justice Commission