- Playing
- Sisters in Pain
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- Down to Earth Productions
When a battered woman resorts to violence against her abuser, is she guilty of a crime? Or do her actions qualify as justifiable self-defense?
In the Peabody Award-winning documentary Sisters in Pain, three formerly battered women share their riveting, intimate and honest stories of abuse, arrest, imprisonment, and, finally, freedom. These women are among the “sisters in pain,” 13 battered women in Kentucky who, in the 1980s and early 1990s, stood up to their brutally abusive husbands and boyfriends, and were subsequently found guilty of violent crimes.
When Kentucky’s Governor Brereton Jones learned of the “sisters in pain” and their stories, he became convinced the women had acted in self-defense. In a controversial move, Jones granted all of the women clemency on his last day in office. This was only the third mass clemency for battered women in U.S. history.
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Piece Description
When a battered woman resorts to violence against her abuser, is she guilty of a crime? Or do her actions qualify as justifiable self-defense? In the Peabody Award-winning documentary Sisters in Pain, three formerly battered women share their riveting, intimate and honest stories of abuse, arrest, imprisonment, and, finally, freedom. These women are among the “sisters in pain,” 13 battered women in Kentucky who, in the 1980s and early 1990s, stood up to their brutally abusive husbands and boyfriends, and were subsequently found guilty of violent crimes. When Kentucky’s Governor Brereton Jones learned of the “sisters in pain” and their stories, he became convinced the women had acted in self-defense. In a controversial move, Jones granted all of the women clemency on his last day in office. This was only the third mass clemency for battered women in U.S. history.
Timing and Cues
NOT newcast compatible
One-minute break with music bed: 16:24 - 17:24
Outcue: "...when he is injured or killed."
One-minute break with music bed: 38:23 - 39:23
Outcue: "...battered women's self-defense."
End of program: 58:30
Additional Files
- Generic Press Release (SIPPressRelease.doc)
- Generic Press Release (SIPPressRelease.doc)
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Dmae Roberts
Posted on September 26, 2004 at 11:01 AM | Permalink
Review of Sisters in Pain
It took a few minutes for me to get into this hour-long doc because we've all heard the statistics and have watched The Burning Bed and similiar movies that have dealt with the horrifying realities of domestic violence. But this fine production takes a look at the story of 13 battered women who were released from prison in a courageous act by Kentucky's Govenor Brereton Jones told in three riveting acts. The first act deals with the desperation and despair suffered by the women in life-threatening relationships with their abusers. The second act deals with their time in prison and the restorative effect of working together on a quilt that detailed their sorrow and pain. It was the creation of the guilt that caught the eyes of Governor Jones leading to his decision to release these women. The third act follows their release and their challenges and successes returning to society. I'm not surprised this doc won a Peabody. For anyone who says "we've done domestic violence pieces" -- you haven't done this one. An excellent special for any programmers especially for Women's History Month, Mother's Day, or even the holidays when so much domestic violence can occur... Kudos to these producers...