In the near future I will reintroduce legislation to create alternative sentences for survivors. Last session, I introduced this bill as SB 1323; cosponsors included Senators Fontana, Street, Kane, Hughes, Santarsiero, Kearney, Schwank, Costa, and Browne.  
 

Domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual abuse have devastating impacts on victims, their families, and our community. More than 12 million men and women experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner each year. One in three women, one in four men, and nearly half of LGBTQ+ individuals will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.  
 

According to the United Nations’ International Labour Organization, human traffickers victimize an estimated 27.6 million people worldwide; 23% are victims of sex trafficking. 
 

Unfortunately, we know that being a survivor of these forms of violence can affect a person’s participation in crime; 60% of women in prison had an ongoing history of physical or sexual abuse prior to incarceration while 84% of girls in juvenile detention have experienced family violence. Overwhelming numbers of incarcerated men report a history of victimization. 
 

We now know that some survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual abuse are driven into criminal activity by their abusers. Some survivors fight back against their abuser to defend their lives and the lives of their children, while others may be forced to participate in crime by, or with, their abuser.  
 

This legislation would make Pennsylvania the fourth state, along with Illinois, Oklahoma, and New York to require that such abuse be considered in sentencing, allowing alternative or reduced sentences for survivors whose victimization contributed to their offense. It would also allow resentencing for qualified individuals.  

For too long, domestic violence; human trafficking; and sexual abuse victimization has been ignored in sentencing. The failure to recognize the humanity and suffering in those coerced into crime has resulted in outcomes that are unethical, inhumane, and perpetuate victim-blaming.  
 

I invite you to join me as a sponsor of this bill. Let’s ensure Pennsylvania’s justice system treats survivors with the fairness and dignity they deserve.