A Campaign to Prevent an Unjust Prison Sentence
Donation protected
Thank you to everyone who has helped us reach our goal! Abbi now has the ability to petition the court to dismiss her case. ALL ADDITIONAL DONATIONS will be given to the Sara Snyder Fund, a local Portland organization, that helps indigent criminal defendants like Abbi. When they have sufficient funding, they have supported other individuals in reimbursing victims for the purpose of petitioning for dismissal. Their efforts have led to numerous individuals securing their freedom and avoiding years in prison.
For more information on the Sara Snyder Fund, please see below (last paragraph).
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The purpose of this GoFundMe campaign is to prevent a 22 year old domestic violence survivor from going to prison. Her freedom hinges on her ability to raise $3,000.
“We have a system of justice in [the US] that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes.” - Bryan Stevenson
ABBI’S BACKGROUND
Abbi's childhood was riddled with abuse and neglect. She was removed from her parents' care as a newborn and was shuffled between 48 foster homes until aging out of foster care last year. She was the subject of abuse by her parents, her foster families, and her ex-boyfriend, who inflicted so much violence it is a miracle she is alive today. In spite of this trauma, Abbi graduated from high school (after changing schools 10+ times because of her ever changing foster care placements) and completed two years of college. She has struggled with homelessness, addiction, and PTSD throughout her teens and early twenties. However, in December of last year she entered an inpatient treatment center and has been thriving in her recovery ever since. She was recently accepted into an aftercare program that provides sober living and a continuation of her treatment classes.* After she has completed four months of that program, she will be able to start working and focusing on building a normal life.
Abbi is the most stable she has ever been in her entire life. She is not using, she has a place to live, and she has counselors and a social worker to go to for help. Abbi is also at serious risk of being sent to prison and having her hard earned stability taken away.
ABBI’S CURRENT SITUATION
Abbi is currently facing charges in Multnomah County, OR for Unlawful Use of a Vehicle and is at risk of spending up to 4.5 years in prison. The incident occurred in September of last year when she was in the midst of her addiction. All the victim in her case wants is reimbursement for the loss of their vehicle. Right now $3,000 is all that stands between Abbi and the ability to continue living a free life and progressing in her recovery. If Abbi is able to raise $3,000, she can reimburse the victim and petition the court to dismiss her case.
All too often a person’s financial capabilities (or lack thereof) determine what kind of sentence they receive. Abbi is poor. Without help she will not have the resources to secure her freedom.
THE SARA SNYDER FOUNDATION
This campaign’s goal is to raise $3,000 for the dismissal of Abbi’s case. However, everything we raise in excess of our goal will be donated to the Sara Snyder Fund – an organization in Oregon that provides grants to indigent criminal defendants around the state.** The Sara Snyder Fund offers small grants to help even the playing field for low income people involved in the criminal justice system. Their funding generally goes to clients of the public defender’s office and has included payments for basic services, for outstanding fines, and, when they have sufficient funding, for reimbursement of victims like in Abbi’s case. Therefore, this GoFundMe seeks to help Abbi as well as to support other individuals in the system who are at a heightened risk because of their poverty.
*Abbi’s substance abuse treatment has been 100% funded by the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), the Oregon equivalent of Obamacare.
**In the event the judge denies Abbi’s petition, the $3,000 will also be donated to the Sara Snyder Fund
For more information on the Sara Snyder Fund, please see below (last paragraph).
.
.
.
The purpose of this GoFundMe campaign is to prevent a 22 year old domestic violence survivor from going to prison. Her freedom hinges on her ability to raise $3,000.
“We have a system of justice in [the US] that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes.” - Bryan Stevenson
ABBI’S BACKGROUND
Abbi's childhood was riddled with abuse and neglect. She was removed from her parents' care as a newborn and was shuffled between 48 foster homes until aging out of foster care last year. She was the subject of abuse by her parents, her foster families, and her ex-boyfriend, who inflicted so much violence it is a miracle she is alive today. In spite of this trauma, Abbi graduated from high school (after changing schools 10+ times because of her ever changing foster care placements) and completed two years of college. She has struggled with homelessness, addiction, and PTSD throughout her teens and early twenties. However, in December of last year she entered an inpatient treatment center and has been thriving in her recovery ever since. She was recently accepted into an aftercare program that provides sober living and a continuation of her treatment classes.* After she has completed four months of that program, she will be able to start working and focusing on building a normal life.
Abbi is the most stable she has ever been in her entire life. She is not using, she has a place to live, and she has counselors and a social worker to go to for help. Abbi is also at serious risk of being sent to prison and having her hard earned stability taken away.
ABBI’S CURRENT SITUATION
Abbi is currently facing charges in Multnomah County, OR for Unlawful Use of a Vehicle and is at risk of spending up to 4.5 years in prison. The incident occurred in September of last year when she was in the midst of her addiction. All the victim in her case wants is reimbursement for the loss of their vehicle. Right now $3,000 is all that stands between Abbi and the ability to continue living a free life and progressing in her recovery. If Abbi is able to raise $3,000, she can reimburse the victim and petition the court to dismiss her case.
All too often a person’s financial capabilities (or lack thereof) determine what kind of sentence they receive. Abbi is poor. Without help she will not have the resources to secure her freedom.
THE SARA SNYDER FOUNDATION
This campaign’s goal is to raise $3,000 for the dismissal of Abbi’s case. However, everything we raise in excess of our goal will be donated to the Sara Snyder Fund – an organization in Oregon that provides grants to indigent criminal defendants around the state.** The Sara Snyder Fund offers small grants to help even the playing field for low income people involved in the criminal justice system. Their funding generally goes to clients of the public defender’s office and has included payments for basic services, for outstanding fines, and, when they have sufficient funding, for reimbursement of victims like in Abbi’s case. Therefore, this GoFundMe seeks to help Abbi as well as to support other individuals in the system who are at a heightened risk because of their poverty.
*Abbi’s substance abuse treatment has been 100% funded by the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), the Oregon equivalent of Obamacare.
**In the event the judge denies Abbi’s petition, the $3,000 will also be donated to the Sara Snyder Fund
Organizer and beneficiary
Tristen Edwards
Organizer
Portland, OR
Terry Petersen
Beneficiary
