What is the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA)?
The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA) is a groundbreaking sentencing reform passed in New York in 2019 that gives judges the discretion to impose lower sentences on survivors of domestic violence who can establish that abuse was a significant contributing factor to their offense.
Why We Need the DVSJA
An estimated 8 in 10 incarcerated women experienced severe abuse as children. More than 7 in 10 experienced serious intimate partner violence as adults.
The criminal legal system not only fails to recognize and support survivors, it actively punishes them, routinely imposing imprisonment and perpetuating trauma and isolation.
The DVSJA is a critical resource for survivors of domestic violence, their legal teams, and the communities that support them.
The Law
The DVSJA takes a broad view of domestic violence as more than just intimate partner abuse and allows relief for survivors convicted of a range of offenses, including felonies categorized as violent.
It allows judges to sentence survivors to shorter prison terms and, in some cases, community-based alternative-to-incarceration programs, and provides survivors currently in prison the opportunity to apply for resentencing.
DVSJA By the Numbers
The DVSJA has helped many survivors, but data shows it has the potential to reach many more. Dig into the numbers on who has—and hasn't—been able to use the DVSJA, and other relevant data points.
Made with Visme
Trainings
Our trainings help survivors, advocates, service providers, and lawyers understand, apply, and work with the DVSJA.
Resources