A Secret Survey From Inside a Women’s Prison Tells Stories of Domestic Abuse Untold in Court

In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Survivors' Act was passed in 2024, allowing domestic abuse survivors to petition for reduced sentences if their abuse was a substantial factor in their crime. The legislation stemmed from concerns about Oklahoma's high rates of both female incarceration and domestic abuse. Attorneys Colleen McCarty and Leslie Briggs advocated for the law after visiting April Wilkens, who was imprisoned for killing her abuser after facing indifference from law enforcement. Wilkens' case became central to the push for the legislation. The law requires survivors to demonstrate the abuse's impact on their offense, with a judge making the final decision on sentence reduction. The act is considered unusual for a state with a history of harsh punishment.

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