New York State Senate’s Reaction to My Film ‘Strength of a Woman’

Last week the Coalition for Women Prisoners ventured up to Albany for Advocacy Day, to encourage legislators to support the Merit Time Bill (a bill that would expand merit time eligibility for survivors of abuse in prison, thereby allowing them to serve shorter sentences and more quickly begin the process of healing from abuse and reconnecting with their families and communities. Currently, people incarcerated for violent offenses are not eligible for merit time).
A copy of the film Strength of a Woman (directed by yours truly) was screened that day in front of some very influential people in NY State politics; Sen Hassell-Thompson, Sen. Perkins, Sen. Montgomery and Assemblymember Weinstein. To say the very least, they were moved. Sen. Bill Perkins even admitted that he’d been thinking about changing regulations surrounding Domestic Violence but hadn’t really been proactive. After seeing the film he said that now he’s going to be taking domestic violence regulations more seriously.
It’s so wonderful to see the film in motion, doing what it’s supposed to do.

We all can do our part to get the Merit Time Bill passed. Send a quick note to these senators encouraging them to support the Merit Time Bill;
Senator Perkins,
Senator Hassell-Thompson,
Senator Montgomery,
Assemblymember Weinstein

The message can be as simple as: Thank you for supporting the Merit Time Bill for survivors of abuse who are in prison.

Strength of a Woman

Last year, I teamed up with the Coalition for Women Prisoners’ Violence Against Women Committee to create Strength of a Woman, a 22 minute documentary film depicting the stories of formerly incarcerated women who committed crimes as a result of the abuse they suffered.

The film chronicles what happens when a woman finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship with very little support, enduring years of abuse with seemingly no escape. When these women summon the courage to fight back, oftentimes in defense of their own lives, they are faced with severe violent crime sentencing in the courts. The film addresses the criminal justice system’s devastating impact on survivors of domestic violence. The film premieres this Thursday, February 5th at 6pm at Columbia University School of Law, 435 West 116th Street at Amsterdam Avenue.

You should make it if you can.

After the screening of the film, advocates will explore the relationship between domestic violence and womens’ pathways to prison. There will be discussion with myself and the committee and a dialogue about the Violence Against Women Committees’ continued advocacy for the Merit Time Bill. A reception with refreshments will follow.

To RSVP please contact Stacey Thompson, Community Outreach Organizer at: sthompson@correctionalassociation.org or call: 212-254-5700 x.333