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Connecticut advocates press Judiciary Committee to let trauma inform sentencing for domestic violence survivors
Summary
Survivor advocates, nonprofits and specialists urged the Judiciary Committee to pass Senate Bill 15‑02, which would let judges and parole authorities consider domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking as mitigating or contributing factors when sentencing or reviewing sentences for people already incarcerated.
Hartford, Conn. — Advocates for survivors of gender‑based violence urged the Judiciary Committee on March 17 to pass Senate Bill 15‑02, a measure that would allow judges and the parole board to consider domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking as a contributing factor when reviewing or modifying criminal sentences.
Supporters — including the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, She Leads Justice, Drop LWOP New England and the ACLU of Connecticut — told the committee the bill would give judges and other decision makers a formal way to weigh trauma and coercive control in cases where an individual’s offense was tied to their victimization.
“Survivors can sometimes receive severe sentences for actions directly tied to their victimization,” Megan Scanlon, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic…
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