Voices of Incarcerated Survivors of Domestic Violence

"I am my worst nightmare."
"He dragged me across the floor by my hair and then raped me with a gun."
"I was in hysterics and I tell you what, if there was one thing that guaranteed a beating, it was being hysterical."
"He beat me so bad, I miscarried. After leaving me for two days, he came back and dumped a baby in my lap. I knew it wasn't mine and I knew it was wrong, but it was the only positive thing I had. So, I kept it. Two days later, I found the baby's real mother shoved in our basement. Dead." "I woke up in the middle of the night and to my horror his head was between my legs. Scared as I was, I waited until he left."
"The only time we ever worked as a couple was when we were both high on methamphetamine."
"I needed to protect my children, so I took the beating."
"He was my one true love. We belonged together. I hoped he would understand how much I loved him, so I let him."
"Why didn't I tell the police right away? He threatened to burn my family's house down. I knew what he was capable of. I knew he would so I didn't know what to do."
"He knew exactly how long it took me to go to the store. If it took me longer, I got the crap beaten out of me so bad. So if there were three people in line, I dropped the groceries and left. Either way I got a beating so, I preferred to show up on time with no groceries."
"I have never felt safe, except in prison."
"I wasn't even safe from the beatings in public. He had complete control over me."
"You see these two front teeth? They are fake. I knocked them out and broke my nose from having a bad nightmare about him."
"He forced me to have sex with our son. If I didn't he would kill him."
"He pushed me down a flight of stairs at a restaurant. There was a man and his wife, who saw it happened. The man made a motion to help me, but the woman turned and said 'it's not our business' and left".

"Is there a message you would like us to carry out of there for you?"
" Yes. If you see domestic violence in public, it is your business. If you see it happen DO something. You never know what the situation is"