Over the last 20 years I have had the honor to work with thousands of crime victims. I know their stories intimately and have seen the profound damage violence leaves in its wake, sometimes for generations. I have been in these families’ homes when they are turned into crime scenes and have held their crying children. I can say without a doubt, SQ 805 will hurt families, children, and communities in perpetuity.
1 in 3 women in Oklahoma will be victims of domestic violence, which means 461,804 women will be hurt and hundreds of thousands of children will witness violence across our state. Despite the high prevalence of violence, less than 3% of abusers in Oklahoma will ever spend a day in prison. The ones that do, have committed heinous and egregious crimes against family members. Domestic violence in Oklahoma is broadly defined and includes intimate partner violence and abuse against other family members such as a mom, daughter, son, grandparent, etc. What does domestic violence look like?
A helpless ten-year-old boy whose Dad was “teaching him how to be a man” by forcing him to watch his mom get strangled every day
A pregnant woman who gets hit and kicked daily and has learned to wrap her arms around her stomach and curl into a ball to protect her baby
An older married couple whose adult son viciously attacks them and has killed their dogs SQ 805 will give the most violent and dangerous a busers, who have repeatedly strangled, burned, shot, stabbed, and beat family members the constitutional right for a reduced prison sentence. Forever.
There are over 1,100 abusers in prison. If 805 passes, they will get reduced sentences, and many could literally walk out and go back home. Proponents of 805 inaccurately say it is “not a threat to public safety”, but experts in the field strongly disagree. Releasing thousands of repeat offenders early without requiring them to complete evidence-based treatment is a public safety issue. The research is clear, 83% of offenders released from prison will be re-arrested in less than 10 years. Abuse is a pattern of violence and control and often offenders return to the same environment and escalate their behavior. Our state is ranked number 3 in the nation for women killed by men. These perpetrators also hurt and terrorize other people. Recently a repeat offender committed a sexual battery on a stranger and another broke into homes and committed countless home burglaries. Should people who repeatedly terrorize and harm others have their behavior rewarded and reinforced with reduced sentences?
Survivors are terrified of their abusers being released early, because they know the violence will escalate in severity and frequency. A survivor recently shared she was grateful for her husband’s prison sentence, as it would give her daughter enough time to safely turn 18. Knowing once he is released, he will kill her. I shudder at the thought of having to call survivors and tell them the person who almost killed you will get out of prison early if 805 passes.
Many survivors have shared with me what 805 says to them: you do not matter; you and your children’s safety is not as important as reducing the prison population. Often abusers tell victims that no one cares, or nothing will happen to them. SQ 805 reinforces that message.
SQ 805 is too broad of policy that will hurt vulnerable families and remove sentence enhancements for repeat abusers. This is not the Oklahoma Standard. Survivors and their children will undoubtedly be the causalities of SQ 805. You cannot have a safe community if you do not have safe homes. Reducing sentences for repeat abusers without mandating treatment and ensuring they are safe for release is setting families up for failure.
Victims strongly oppose it; their very lives may depend on how we vote.
Kim Garrett holds a master’s degree in Social Work and is a nationally certified advanced advocate through NOVA. She has proudly served in the victim’s services field for 20 years and is an Internationally recognized speaker and consultant.