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For Immediate Release: March 21, 2022<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n On Tuesday, March 22, 2022, Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (JDI), will host its annual Advocacy Day to rally around its legislative and budget priorities to address sexual and domestic violence in the Commonwealth.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The virtual program will include remarks by <\/span><\/span>Representative Natalie Blais<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>along with\u00a0<\/span>advocates from JDI coalition\u00a0<\/span>member programs, a survivor speaker who will share her experiences related to court abuse, and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Andrea James<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Founder and Executive Director of the National Council\u00a0<\/span>For<\/span>\u00a0Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n Hema Sarang-Sieminski, JDI\u2019s Policy Director<\/span>, said, \u201c<\/span>We will gather to\u00a0<\/span>impress upon the Massachusetts Legislature the\u00a0<\/span>opportunity\u00a0<\/span>they have\u00a0<\/span>to make significant and effective change that will support survivors throughout the Commonwealth.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n JDI’s priorities\u00a0<\/span>continue to\u00a0<\/span>include<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0Healthy<\/span>\u00a0Youth Act, Language Access and Inclusion Act and\u00a0<\/span>Safe Communities Act, and Employment Protections for Victims of Abusive Behavior.\u00a0 The Advocacy Day program will focus on these three items<\/span>:<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n #1:\u00a0 Passing the <\/span><\/span>Prison\u00a0<\/span>Moratorium<\/span>\u00a0Bill<\/span><\/span><\/a>. This legislation would put a 5 year pause on the construction of any new prisons or jails in Massachusetts.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Nearly 60% of people in women\u2019s prison nationwide have a history of physical or sexual abuse before being incarcerated with some reports indicating even higher levels of victimization<\/span>. The disparate impact on Black\u00a0<\/span>and Brown women\u00a0<\/span>is also well documented.\u00a0<\/span>JDI is supporting this legislation in part because f<\/span>ar too often, the necessity of prisons, jails, and carceral approaches is uplifted in the name of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.<\/span>\u00a0Yet the\u00a0<\/span>realities of women in prison<\/span>\u00a0is a\u00a0<\/span>demographic that is profoundly overrepresented by those who have survived sexual assault, domestic violence, or trafficking prior to incarceration.\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n