DVSJA Data

The Survivors Justice Project (SJP) collects information from government agencies, attorneys and legal teams working on Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA) resentencing applications, and applicants going through the resentencing process as well as their loved ones. This data only covers resentencing or retroactive applications. SJP does not have equivalent data on the use of the DVSJA prospectively. 

SJP receives many letters from people in prison and incorporates the information they provide because it is important and credible. All the information collected is confidential and only shared in the aggregate so sensitive information remains protected. We aim to provide a clear and accurate picture of how the DVSJA resentencing provision is being implemented across New York State. While our data provides useful insights, it is not comprehensive. The data is directionally informative but not exhaustive. No other agency or organization is tracking this data. The information presented on this page is current as of April 2026.

So far, 82 survivors have been resentenced after filing DVSJA applications, resulting in over 240 years of needless incarceration saved from what would have been their earliest possible release, and eliminating 20 potential life sentences.

If these survivors had been sentenced under the DVSJA originally, it would have avoided over 629 years of prison time.

Filing Summaries

SJP has tracked 235 filed resentencing applications.

Of the 235 applications, 82 survivors have been resentenced and 106 survivors have been denied.

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Who has been resentenced?

Resentenced Survivors

Demographics

83% were women

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74% were people of color

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Geography

46 people

were convicted in NYC.

Life Sentence

20 people

were serving indeterminate life sentences.

Conviction charges

Resentenced Survivors

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Resentenced Survivors

Relationship to the victim

In 45% of resentenced cases, the victim was not the abuser.

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Where the victim was the abuser, most were intimate partners.

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Resentenced Survivors

Prosecution’s position

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Who has been denied resentencing?

Survivors Denied Resentencing

Demographics

45% were women

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77% were people of color

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Geography

66 people

the majority, were convicted outside of NYC.

Life Sentence

45 people

were serving indeterminate life sentences.

Conviction charges

Survivors Denied Resentencing

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