"Sin by Silence,” is an emotionally packed documentary that examines the stories of women incarcerated for killing an abusive partner. Yet, despite prison walls, these women have learned from their past and are changing the future of domestic violence statistics. The documentary will be screened at Kent State University at Trumbull on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. in Room 113 of the Classroom Building. A talkback session will be held immediately after the screening, which is free and open to the public.
The documentary centers on the California Institution for Women, the first inmate initiated and led group in U.S. prison history, Convicted Women Against Abuse (CWAA). The group was formed in 1989 to help women inside prison break the silence about abuse and learn more about what they needed to do to help others stop the cycle of violence.
Instead of fighting a system that does not fully comprehend the complexities of abuse, the women of CWAA led an initiative to help educate the system. Through careful orchestration of letter writing campaigns, media coverage, and senate hearings a movement was born and laws for battered women were changed. And for the founder of CWAA, Brenda Clubine, the flicker of hope begins to grow as her possible freedom – after 26 years in prison – lies moments away.
Film director Olivia Klaus has been working with the women of CWAA for seven years. “I began this journey to help a friend in an abusive relationship and found a group of empowering women forgotten by the system,” explained Klaus. “Their struggles are important to learn from because they provide us the preventative roadmap for change.”
Additionally, and in observance as October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Kent State Trumbull will be hosting the following events:
- Silent Witness Display
Lower Commons (first floor of the Classroom Building) | Oct. 1-30, 2015
- Domestic Violence T-shirt Display
First floor of the Classroom Building | Oct. 1-30, 2015
- Collection Drive for Someplace Safe, Inc.
Bins located outside Kent State Trumbull Library | Oct. 1-Nov. 3, 2015
- Presentation by Linda Baer, R.A., legal advocate supervisor, Someplace Safe, Inc.
“Domestic Violence Today & How to Prevent It”
Room 113, Classroom Building | Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 | 3 p.m.
For more information on “Sin by Silence,” visit www.sinbysilence.com.
For more information on the screening and talkback session, contact Mary Wilson, Ph.D., associate professor of criminology and justice studies, at 330-675-8925.