1. Based on the webpages and the interview with Peggy Byrne, what are some of th
1. Based on the webpages and the interview with Peggy Byrne, what are some of the most significant factors that can lead to a survivor of abuse being treated as a criminal and charged with homicide, assault or other crimes, rather than receiving support and resources as a victim of violence and trauma?
2. Why do prosecutors need to understand trauma? Why would this also be important for judges, jurors, and public defenders?
3. How did Nancy Rish end up spending over 33 years in prison? Either view the Cyntoia Brown video, or review another case on the Survived and Punished site you were asked to explore. How did Cyntoia Brown or the other survivor you reviewed end up in prison? Why do you think the legal system treated them this way?
4. What are some similarities and differences in the cases of Rish and Brown (or other person)?
5. What is the sexual assault to prison pipeline?
6. Many people who are charged with crimes or otherwise involved in the prison system are survivors of child abuse, poverty, racism, intersecting oppressions, and other forms of trauma. Certainly many privileged people commit crime and acts of violence or harm, but they are much less likely to end up in prison than people who have less privilege, money, or access to resources (and teams of great lawyers). In addition, many survivors of violence who seek help from the authorities face further traumatization by police and in the court process. What do the materials in this module suggest about the problems with using policing and prisons as our primary responses to violence and harmful behavior? What changes do you think are needed?
7. Do you think other people among your community, family or friends think that everyone in jail or prison is a dangerous villain who deserves to suffer? Or is there a recognition of the more complex realities that lead to incarceration? Do you think that any human can be reduced down to a single bad act and that there are any humans who are all-bad and have no positive value? What do you think the public needs to know about this?
https://survivedandpunished.org
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/2/10/22927682/buried-alive-nancy-rish-kankakee-media-heir-stephen-small-freed
https://dominican.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=e5ef310a-31b6-431b-a9be-ad1401253d62
https://rights4girls.org/wp-content/uploads/r4g/2015/02/2015_COP_sexual-abuse_layout_web-1.pdf