Thread by @OJRCenter

Day 2 dawns at the Women in Prison Conference and today we're shifting focus to the reforms that may help survivor-defendants at different stages on their journey through the criminal system. #WIPConf

Our first speakers Melissa and Zuleyma both have experience as survivor-defendants and are sharing their stories with our guests. #WIPConf

Zuleyma: "I realize how love can be so blind...the degree of psychological manipulation that was being used on me [in my abusive relationship.]" #WIPConf

Zuleyma: "I was so scared that I would have done anything she said...My life was a living hell...I told my family not to contact me because I didn't want them around these people." #WIPConf

Zuleyma: "For the first 2 years in prison I was angry and bitter and refused to accept [my situation.]" #WIPConf

Zuleyma: "I support trade programs [for women] unconditionally because women are very capable of doing these jobs." #WIPConf

Zuleyma: "We need a new justice system. [What we have] doesn't address the underlying reasons why people go to prison in the first place (trauma)." #WIPConf

Melissa spoke last year at our conference as one of the women from Coffee Creek, but now is free and is returning to speak again. #WIPConf

Melissa: "Drugs were my escape from trauma. I ended up with a #Measure11 charge. I was clean before I went to prison and it was very hard. @YWCAPortland's Family Preservation Project saved me by giving me a chance to be a parent in prison. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Melissa: "I had genuine connections with women in prison [in 5 years there] and it's really hard to find that outside prison." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Melissa: "I made all these excuses for him. I kept saying I wouldn't go back [but I did.] Slowly I started losing my supports and myself." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Melissa: "I felt so overlooked [by the justice system]. I was lost and needed help." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Melissa: "I share my story because I want to do what I can. I want to feel like I'm on the right track." WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Next up we will here from Sara Foroshani, Deputy Public Defender at the Public Defender of Marion County. She'll be discussing reforms at the pre-trial/pre-conviction stage of the legal system that may help survivor-defendants. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Sara Foroshani: "Working with victim advocates is really important. Getting to know them and working with them is important." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Sara Foroshani: "Public defenders need to learn to read between the lines [when working with survivor-defendants]. Know what to notice and point out to DAs and judges." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Sara Foroshani: "Attorneys need to be able to spend more time with their clients to understand their stories to be able to share them properly." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Sara Foroshani: "Survivor-defendants also need to be able to get support from advocates which means advocates need more funding to help them [as a specific population]." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Sara Foroshani: 'We have to help people with collateral consequences of conviction (such as loss of job, loss of housing.)...I see a disparate impact on my female clients." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Sara Foroshani: "What I see broadly is that women are more likely to be in jobs that require more thorough background checks such as teaching, so even an arrest can be disastrous and prevent a return to the career in future." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Sara Foroshani: "A boutique defense that specializes in representing women who have experienced trauma would be amazing as a resource to the state." #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Erik Deitrick of the Office of Public Defense Services (but speaking personally) and Julia Yoshimoto of our Women's Justice Project speaking next. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Erik Deitrick points out that #Oregon is the only state that has completely outsourced public defense. 1/3 cases are covered by nonprofit public defense efforts, 2/3 private law firms. #WIPConf #orpol

@YWCAPortland #Oregon's population has increased 57% since 1983 but prison population has grown 600% over the same period. 11 times faster than population growth. #orpol #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Under the #Oregon constitution, it is a fundamental principle that sentencing must be proportionate to the offense. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Despite #Oregon having a sentencing grid, a whole bunch of other laws tend to override what sentence people would have received under the grid. Examples include #Measure11 #Measure57, #JessicasLaw (sex offenses)

@YWCAPortland There has been some progress in recent years with some sentencing changes pass such as justice reinvestment (incentivizing counties not to use prison) which has helped with the prevention of building new prisons in #Oregon #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Another landmark was #HB2355, defelonization of possession of a controlled substance (drug). Not making people felons for a substance abuse issue is helpful to their future success. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland #HB3078 AKA the Safety and Savings Act reformed property crime sentencing and helped prevent the opening of a new women's prison in #Oregon #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland #Rocha theft or #returnfraud was formerly prosecuted as theft by receiving regardless of value of item resulting in higher penalties but that has now been overruled. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Accomplice liability: we could reform charging and sentencing for accomplices so they're not subject to as harsh a punishment as the ones who actually carried out the act. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland Illinois passed legislation that went into effect in 2016 which mitigate sentences for survivor-defendants. It also allows already incarcerated survivor-defendants to petition for re-sentencing if certain circumstances apply. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland This year, New York passed the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. This allows lesser sentences for survivor-defendants under certain circumstances and opportunities for re-sentencing for already incarcerated survivor-defendants. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland .@SFFNY estimated 365 women & 115 men would be eligible per year for alternative sentences and 360 incarcerated survivors would be eligible for re-sentencing. #WIPConf

@YWCAPortland @SFFNY In 2019, Oklahoma attempted to pass, but did not pass, a survivor-defendants law to reduce sentences and modify existing sentences. #WIPConf