Georgia bill to reduce prison sentences for domestic violence survivors on its way to becoming law

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia bill that would reduce sentences for those who could tie their crimes to domestic abuse is on its way to becoming law.

Women nationwide are in prison for killing their abusive partners in self-defense. Others were coerced into committing crimes with their abusers. Women of color are especially likely to end up in prison for crimes tied to abuse, experts have said.

House Bill 582 passed the Senate 53-1 on Thursday after the House overwhelmingly passed it last month. Once the House approves final changes, which it is expected to, it will go to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature.

Over 100 women in Georgia prisons could get shorter sentences, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Mary Favors, an incarcerated abuse survivor whose story the AP reported, hopes to work at a battered women’s shelter if she gets out. She is in prison for killing her abusive husband. She says he jumped onto a knife she grabbed to defend herself.

If Kemp signs the bill, Georgia would join Oklahoma, Illinois, New York and California in giving domestic abuse victims in prison or charged with a crime the chance to ask judges for lower sentences and present evidence to prove abuse drove their crime.

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The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Stan Gunter, would also make it easier for people going forward to prove their crime was driven by abuse and let them bring in more evidence. Current Georgia law is strict about what evidence of abuse people can present and under what circumstances they can present it.

“House Bill 582 would prevent survivors from serving long sentences for conduct needed for their own survival,” said Sen. Bo Hatchett, the Republican carrying the bill. “House Bill 582 would allow Georgia’s criminal law to catch up with society’s modern understanding of domestic violence dynamics.”

Under Georgia’s bill, if a judge determines that family violence, dating violence or child abuse contributed to a crime with a minimum sentence of life in prison, the judge would have to impose a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison unless prosecutors agree to a lower sentence.

For other felonies, judges would not be able to sentence the defendant to more than half of the maximum sentence they could have otherwise gotten. People in prison could also request resentencing under the rules if the act ultimately becomes law.

Several district attorneys originally opposed the bill and contacted their representatives to oppose it when the House voted on it. But the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council took a neutral stance after they won some changes. For example, the minimum sentence a judge could impose under the original bill if they found domestic abuse contributed to a crime was one year.

Between 74% and 95% of incarcerated women nationwide have survived domestic abuse or sexual violence, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“We only got three dissenting votes the entire time, which sends such a strong message to survivors in our state that we take their experience seriously, we value them, that their voices are heard, that they’re safe, and the people care about seeing actual justice and healing,” said Ellie Williams, legal director with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

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Charlotte Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.