SURVIVOR STORIES SURVIVOR STORIES SURVIVOR STORIES
Assia Serrano
Assia Serrano is a survivor, an immigrant, an activist, and most of all a loving and caring mother and caretaker who devotes herself to her…
Sara Kielly
Sara Kielly is a trans woman and survivor of gender-based violence. From a young age, Sara experienced sexual abuse and severe bullying throughout school because…
Joy Powell
Joy Powell is an activist, pastor, survivor, and mother who is serving two sentences at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for crimes she did not commit.…
Annette Farrell
Annette “Annie” Farrell is a proud survivor and mother of four young children, currently serving a term of 15 years at Bedford Hills Correctional…
Tanisha Davis
Tanisha Davis is a caring 32 year-old single mother serving a 14-year sentence in Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women after acting in self-defense against…
Joanne Armour
Joanne Armour is serving 20 years to life for defending herself and her 14 year old daughter against an attack from her close friend of…
Breanna Simpson
Breanna Simpson is serving 25 years for defending herself against a man who tried to kill her on numerous occasions. She is a survivor of…
Cynthia Galens
Cynthia Galens is a survivor of three abusive relationships, including two marriages. The third relationship ended in the death of Kevin Stack, for which she…
Laura Martin
Laura Martin is serving a 20-year sentence for killing her father, a man who had physically and sexually abused her since childhood and who threatened…
Theresa Debo
Theresa Debo has survived a lifetime of horrific abuse. Now 14 years into a 22-years-to-life sentence for second degree murder, Theresa will turn 62 in…
Kelly Forbes
In 2001, Kelly Forbes immigrated from her native Trinidad with her young daughter to Brooklyn. She was a single parent with a history of trauma,…
Darlene Benson-Seay
Though she didn’t do it, Darlene Benson-Seay is incarcerated for killing her boyfriend, Ronnie, who abused her violently for years. He’d fallen into debt to…
Sherrita Crumpler
Sherrita Crumpler is a 35-year-old woman currently serving a 17 Year sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. A tragic accident that took the life of…
Kelly Harnett
Kelly Harnett was there in 2010 when her abuser murdered someone in a New York park. Because she was present, Kelly was also charged with…
Jessica
The first time Jessica’s partner hit her was when she picked him up from a stint in prison, where he’d been incarcerated on a drug…
Betsy Ramos
Betsy Ramos has been behind bars for 22 years for second-degree manslaughter. At 15 years, she had served her minimum sentence. Nonetheless, in January of…
Rachel Ball
Rachel Ball grew up in upstate NY. She is currently serving 8 ⅓ years for criminally negligent homicide, two felony drug counts and a misdemeanor…
Valerie Seeley
Valerie Seeley is the only survivor of gender violence who has had her sentence commuted by Governor Cuomo. We demand the same for the other…