Every 9 Seconds

Our guest, Brenda Clubine-Coolbaugh is a domestic violence survivor that offers a unique perspective regarding the dynamics and extreme consequences of abuse. She spent 26 years in prison for protecting her life from her abuser, and is the founder of the first abuse support group within the U.S.prison system.

In the early 1990s, Convicted Women Against Abuse (CWAA) played an active role in a California effort to establish precedence for the psychological circumstances of battered women's lives. Brenda and her fellow inmates decided to try to make change in a system that did not recognize the intricacies of an abusive relationship. Through careful orchestration of media coverage, and legislative hearings, a movement was started from behind prison walls and laws were changed. In 1992, Battered Women’s Syndrome became legally defined and mandatory for use in, the cases of battered women, to help explain to a jury the possibilities that might lead to these types of crimes and circumstances.

Ultimately, Brenda had the opportunity to petition the courts and be released on October 22, 2008. Her story is the subject of the life changing documentary “Sin By Silence” which aired on Investigation Discovery in 2011.

Since Brenda was released on October 22, 2008, she has traveled across the U.S. as a professional speaker and advocate for victims of abuse. She is the founder and Executive Director of "Every 9 Seconds" and has repeatedly been a guest expert on HLN's Jane Valez Mitchell Show.

Join us to hear Brenda's heartbreaking yet inspiring story.