free the new jersey 4

On August 18, 2006, seven young African American lesbians traveled to New York City from their homes in Newark for a regular night out. When walking down the street, a man sexually propositioned one of the women. After refusing to take no for an answer, he assaulted them. The women tried to defend themselves, and a fight broke out. The women were charged with Gang Assault in the 2nd degree, a Class C Felony with a mandatory minimum of 3.5 years. Patreese Johnson was additionally charged with 1st Degree Assault. Three of the women accepted plea offers. On June 14th, 2007 Venice Brown (19), Terrain Dandridge (20), Patreese Johnson (20), and Renata Hill (24) received sentences ranging from 3 1⁄2 to 11 years in prison.

This blog is dedicated to supporting all of the women in this case. We hope to serve as a space for discussing ways we can work with the women and their families to bring them home.

We’d also like to thank all the bloggers, writers, families, and concerned friends who have spread the word about this case. The above description, the images, links, and action items (as well as the title of this blog) draw from all of these sources.

Stay tuned for updates!

Join the discussion on organizing strategies by checking out the Organize page.