Survived & Punished CA is excited to announce the launch of the new campaign, #DefundPrisonsDefendSurvivors, for Domestic Violence Awareness Month! This campaign illustrates how the criminal punishment system — ICE, prisons, policing, prosecutors, etc. — is fueled by the criminal punishment of survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

The heart of the campaign is 9 graphic portraits of survivors of domestic and sexual violence in California who are either incarcerated or facing criminal charges. Prosecutors create distorted and false narratives about survivors and their experiences of violence. These portraits (all done with the permission of the portrait subjects) aim to disrupt and transform this practice.

The campaign also includes a new website with statistics illustrating how defunding prisons is central to the goal of ending domestic violence, reflections by survivors about defunding prisons and policing, and action steps to take to help free and support criminalized survivors. The campaign calls on California Governor Gavin Newsom to commute all survivors of sexual and domestic violence and to redirect funding from the California Department of Corrections to resources identified by survivors as necessary for their safety, including universal health care, affordable and accessible housing, childcare, and community-based support services specific to survivors’ needs.

Visit and share the campaign website for take action steps!

Check out the twitter conversation at #DefundPrisonsDefendSurvivors