Survivors Deserve a Future Beyond Their Record
One of the most damaging, yet common, assumptions people make about domestic violence is that leaving is always a straightforward decision. I would just leave. Call the police. Go to a shelter. Get a lawyer. Find a job. Start over. But real life doesn’t always work that way.
Those suggestions sound reasonable when said from a safe distance. They sound different when a survivor has no money, no transportation, no childcare, no safe housing, no immigration security, no supportive family, and no reason to believe that reporting the abuse will make them safer.
A shelter may be full. An emergency order may not stop someone determined to retaliate. Police involvement can bring additional risks, and leaving may mean losing access to children, medication, money, documents, or pets.
It’s also easy to overlook how quickly one crisis can become another.
What they don’t see is how abuse can contribute to job loss, housing instability, untreated trauma, substance use, and financial dependence. Those conditions can increase vulnerability to exploitation and criminal legal system contact.
So when survivors end up involved in the criminal legal system, people want to start the story at the moment of arrest. We look at the charge. The news outlets look at the mugshot. The judge listens to the police report. They all ask why better choices weren’t made.
A criminal charge or conviction can then make it harder to secure housing or employment, deepening the instability that existed in the first place.
If you are a criminalized survivor trying to rebuild your life, a criminal record doesn’t have to be the end of your story.
ALSO’s Lead Community Navigators, trained in both community violence and domestic violence advocacy, can help guide you through this. Reach out now to learn more about the criminal record relief process, get information about expungement and sealing, and connect with one of our legal services partners.
Read more about one of ALSO’s own Lead Community Navigators, Latoya Baines, and her inspiring story here.
For more information, contact us at [email protected].
