The traditional criminal justice framework creates a false binary that associates “victims” exclusively with prosecutors and “defendants” with defense attorneys. This rigid structure means that resources for domestic and intimate partner violence (DV) survivors rarely reach defendants who are themselves victim-survivors. For criminalized survivors of domestic violence, the disconnect between public defender offices and DV agencies creates significant gaps in services and representation.
This disconnect can result in incomplete defenses, as critical mitigating factors may be overlooked, trauma responses misunderstood, and opportunities to connect clients with resources that could prevent future system involvement lost entirely. These consequences are particularly dire for poor, queer, and immigrant survivors who face additional barriers to accessing support.
Under the supervision of Mallika Kaur, Berkeley students are engaging in critical conversations with attorneys, defendant-victims, formerly incarcerated survivors, DV advocates, agencies, and service providers to explore innovative methods for bridging this service gap for criminalized victim-survivors.
While studies consistently show high rates of domestic violence among women prisoners prior to their arrests and incarceration, this project focuses on criminal legal system responses before conviction, when intervention might prevent further trauma. The project explores the novel question of whether and how public defender offices might become strong sites of connection for victims of domestic violence, helping prevent further violence by or against them and their families.