Life behind bars: Nevada’s broken justice system

Описание: This video introduces research by Heidi, a second-year PhD student at The Open University, funded by the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership. Heidi is supervised by Dr Isla Masson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Dr Francine Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Law and Director of the Open Justice Centre.

Heidi’s work investigates the link between intimate partner violence (IPV) and the incarceration of women in Nevada, focusing on how IPV shapes sentencing and legal outcomes. IPV, defined by the World Health Organisation as behaviour causing physical, sexual, or psychological harm within intimate relationships, is widely recognised as a factor in women’s pathways to prison. To date, very little has been known about its impact in Nevada.

After sending surveys to every woman held by the Nevada Department of Corrections, over 98% of respondents reported experiencing IPV, and more than 62% said it directly influenced their legal cases. Heidi’s earlier advocacy work with Return Strong, a Nevada-based nonprofit organisation, revealed similar patterns. Many women seeking sentence commutations had IPV histories, with some serving double life sentences for crimes they did not personally commit.

To reach women who are otherwise inaccessible, Heidi is using the correspondence method, gathering her data through messages sent via digital tablets which women have access to in prison at Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center and handwritten letters. Her research aims to amplify their silenced voices, examine cycles of harm perpetuated by incarceration, and share findings through a dedicated website, and eventually a book, featuring anonymised narratives. By educating policymakers and the public about the IPV-incarceration nexus, Heidi hopes to influence sentencing practices, reduce systemic bias, and promote trauma-informed approaches, ultimately driving meaningful policy change and creating a more equitable justice system for women impacted by IPV in Nevada and beyond.

You can download the Mental Health and Wellbeing Toolkit that was produced as part of this research, which was also referenced in a recent publication by Stanford Law School.

Return Strong: https://www.returnstrongnv.org/
Mental Health and Wellbeing Toolkit: https://ordo.open.ac.uk/articles/educ...
Addressing the Peril, Stanford Law School publication: https://law.stanford.edu/publications...