Why Is Marissa Alexander Still Being Punished for Fighting Back?

Why Is Marissa Alexander Still Being Punished for Fighting Back?
FILE - In a Tuesday, June 10, 2014 file photo, Marissa Alexander is flanked by defense co-counsel Bruce Zimet, left, and Faith Gay, right, stand with as they speak to the media, in Jacksonville, Fla. Alexander, who claimed self-defense after prosecutors say she fired a gun at her estranged husband and his two sons, is expected to be released from prison Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, after accepting a plea agreement for time served. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Bob Mack, Pool)
FILE - In a Tuesday, June 10, 2014 file photo, Marissa Alexander is flanked by defense co-counsel Bruce Zimet, left, and Faith Gay, right, stand with as they speak to the media, in Jacksonville, Fla. Alexander, who claimed self-defense after prosecutors say she fired a gun at her estranged husband and his two sons, is expected to be released from prison Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, after accepting a plea agreement for time served. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Bob Mack, Pool)

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015, Marissa Alexander walked out of jail, but not as a free woman. At yesterday’s hearing, the judge sentenced her to two years of house arrest with an ankle monitor. The prosecutor’s office attempted to argue that Alexander should serve an additional two years of probation after her house arrest ended, but were unsuccessful. Their continued attempts to punish Alexander for defending herself are a stark illustration of the ways in which domestic violence survivors are criminalized and prosecuted.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot