16-05-2025
New Georgia law offers hope to domestic violence survivors behind bars
The Brief
A new Georgia law allows incarcerated domestic violence survivors to present evidence of past abuse to seek reduced sentences, even if they've already been convicted.
The Georgia Justice Survivor Act is retroactive and could help the majority of women in prison, as studies show 74% to 95% have experienced domestic or sexual violence.
Survivor Latoya Dickens, who served time for killing her abusive husband, hopes the new law will help clear her record and end her parole, offering her full freedom.
ATLANTA - A new Georgia law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp this week could change the lives of many women incarcerated for crimes connected to domestic abuse.
What we know
The Georgia Justice Survivor Act allows survivors of domestic violence to introduce evidence of abuse in court, even if they have already been sentenced—marking a significant shift in how the justice system treats victims who took action to protect themselves or their children.
The law is retroactive, meaning women currently in prison can petition for reduced sentences if they can demonstrate their actions stemmed from years of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Advocates say the measure brings long-overdue recognition to the reality that many incarcerated women were acting in self-defense or under extreme duress.
Survivor and advocate Latoya Dickens is one such woman. She served time for the fatal stabbing of her husband—an act she says was a desperate attempt to escape further abuse. Her history of domestic violence was never introduced in court. Although she is now out of prison and on parole, she hopes the new law will allow her case to be re-examined and her felony murder charge removed, giving her a chance at full freedom.
"I hope that this is a door opener to getting my case maybe reviewed and maybe take the felony murder off my record so I can potentially come off parole," Dickens said. "I would love to have my full freedom back where I can do more for myself and my community."
What they're saying
"I didn't really want to hurt him. I just didn't want to be hurt again," Dickens said.
According to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, between 74% and 95% of incarcerated women have experienced domestic or sexual violence. The nonprofit organization Women on the Rise is working to ensure affected women are aware of their rights under the new law.
"This law now says we will recognize that you were trying to survive and we will not criminalize you for doing that," said Robyn Hasan-Simpson, executive director of Women on the Rise.
"I most definitely would not have ended up incarcerated, and I was pregnant at that time so I wouldn't have to have spent half my pregnancy in the county jail either. So even though it's not something that can be retroactively changed in my life, I'm happy that going forward a lot of women won't experience what I did experience," survivor Britney Smith said.
"It will change people's whole life definitely," Hasan-Simpson agreed.
Why you should care
Advocates say the Georgia Justice Survivor Act could be life-changing, offering a path to freedom and healing for countless survivors.
Georgia's new law is similar to laws in a handful of states, including New York's law that is now part of the Diddy trial.
So, there's a lot of hope here in Georgia that this law could help take away the stigma and change the conversation around domestic violence.
