Surviving Intimate Partner Violence

The Story of Mary Virginia Jones

When Mary Jones went to prison in 1981, she was unaware that domestic abuse was a major problem in the United States. It's hard to blame her. At the time of her arrest, she was not allowed to present evidence of Intimate Partner Violence, a condition that affects thousands of American men and women every year.

"Before, I thought it was just a way of life," she said. "I didn't know I had been abuse. I didn't know anything about abuse."

The fact that she was forced to drive her abuser and his two kidnapping victims at gunpoint was not considered. Prosecutors were free to craft a narrative that she loved her partner Mose Willis so much that she would help him kidnap and attempt to execute two drug dealers in an alley in Long Beach. They were free to refine their story four times-the number of trials it took for Mary to be convicted of first degree murder-and get her sentenced to life in prison.

Three decades later, Mary was released, despite her original sentence not permitting parole. Law students from USC's Post-Conviction Project filed a petition asking the District Attorney's office to consider evidence of IPV that she was not allowed to use during her trials. Their argument was that her abuser forced her to be an accomplice to murder.

After conducting their own investigation, the DA's office declared that Mary did not deserve to be in prison. On March 24, 2014, she pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Her 32 years behind bars counted toward her new, lesser sentence. A shriek came from her family and friends as the judged ordered her release. She was freed by the very defense that she never got to use.

It would be nice to think that the problem of domestic abuse in America has been stemmed in the time between Mary's incarceration and subsequent release. While victims of abuse are now able to defend themselves much better in court, domestic abuse remains a silent, pervasive menace in American society.




Smaller, But Still Problematic



According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the rate of serious IPV (assault that resulted in documented injury) declined 72 percent between 1993 and 2011. Simple assaults decreased 70 percent in that same time frame. This suggests that the development of prevention and support systems as well as the general awareness of the issue as had a tangible effect. Coupled with the legal protections now in place for victims who lash out at their abusers or are coerced into crimes by them, it is unlikely for someone to suffer the same fate as Mary Jones.

The rates are encouraging, but are also somewhat deceiving. According to the Center for Disease Control's most recent report, approximately one in four women have been victims of severe violence, and nearly 32 percent experienced some form of violence at the hands of an intimate partner in their lifetimes. Almost half of the women experienced psychological aggression.

This problem doesn't just make for unstable, high-risk homes. It has a profound financial impact that can only be underestimated at best. By CDC estimates, intimate partner violence and related issues cost the US $5.8 billion yearly. In reality, the costs are higher because of a multitude of other factors for which financial data is unavailable.

Another way to look at IPV in the US is not just to look at the statistics, but to also to take a look at when they were collected. The CDC's major study on the topic began in 1993. Likewise, the Bureau of Justice Statistics' long-term study started the same year. Serious evaluation of domestic violence is really just beginning, and the studies themselves have plenty of "more data is needed" clauses sprinkled throughout them.




A Team in Prison


Jones, along with a group of women she met in prison, played a part in the progress that has been made in California to address IPV.

While in prison, she became heavily involved in the church. She helped the pastor put services together, directed the choir, and helped mentor the other women in the prison. During this time, she became friends with Rose Parker, who was also incarcerated before IPV could be used as a defense.

Parker was held against her will by her abuser, and when her brother came to rescue her a firefight ensued. When it was over, Rose had shot and killed her abuser. Without being able to use battered women's syndrome as a defense, she was sentenced to life in prison.

As their friendship developed, Mary and Rose connected with other women in the prison who had been abused, and they all worked together to advocate for battered women. Vowing that she would eventually be released, Parker began a relentless quest to have her name cleared. After many years and countless letters, she was pardoned by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, after which she began her new life of advocacy.

Standing in front of the Pacific High School varsity football team in San Bernadino, she talks about the importance of fostering healthy relationships at a young age. She doesn't sugar coat the topic, and immediately points out that many in the audience have experienced abuse.

"Some of you go home, and you're made to feel this big," she said the the team, gesturing with her fingers.

Parker has earned a PhD in Christian counseling, written a book about her story, and wants to open a shelter for women that are victims of abuse.

Jones is simply happy to be home, and while she is quiet and collected most of the time, the more friends family members around her, the more animated she gets. To her, it's just a continuation of what she believed even before she was sentenced.

"God spoke through one of his servants. She was a friend of mine that was coming to visit me," said Jones.

"She told me what God told her to tell me, that I was going to prison and that I was going to get out and I wasn't going to have no parole. So I knew it all the time. I just didn't know when it was going to happen."