Oklahoma’s “Failure to Protect” law blames women for failing to control their abusers and imprisons them for their alleged inability to protect their kids. Failure to Protect does not protect children; it tears families apart.

Failure to Protect was established to prevent child abuse, and in theory, it is promising, as it holds child abusers accountable. That’s something all parents want. In practice, however, “Failure to Protect”  harms children by separating them from their primary caregiver—usually their mother—and often returns kids to their abusers.

It is an unfair burden to put the responsibility of the abuser’s actions on the victim, and the assumption that women control their partners—particularly abusive ones—contributes to the heinous rate of mothers incarcerated in Oklahoma for protecting their children from abuse.

Under Failure to Protect the courts hold victims responsible for everything that happens in their household—from the abusive partner’s behavior to the abuse they and their children suffer.

If Oklahoma wants to prevent child abuse, removing the primary parent from their children's lives is not the solution. Instead of condemning mothers for their inability to control their abusers—which is impossible when abusers hold the power—courts must focus on protecting mothers and their children from abuse, not on incarcerating mothers and returning children to their abusers. 

If “Failure to Protect” remains a life sentence, it will prevent only one thing: children from living with the parent who was protecting them all along.

We have an opportunity right now to reform Oklahoma’s Failure to Protect laws to protect survivors and hold abusers accountable.

Sign the petition to show your support for this critical bill and pass SB 594.

***This bill must be heard and voted on by Tuesday, March 4th in the Senate Judiciary Committee to go to a legislative vote.***