Kelly Savage-Rodriguez
- PausePlay Today: “Their voices matter.”
- PausePlay In a terribly abusive relationship, Kelly made plans to escape with her young son, Justin. When her abuser discovered the plans, he killed her son. Kelly was wrongfully convicted of the crime.
- PausePlay Kelly sought healing for childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence: “My first trip to the [prison] library I was researching sexual abuse.”
- PausePlay Prison: “An amazing way to work on your own healing is to work with others.”
Kelly Savage-Rodriguez is a Coordinator at the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, leading the work of Drop LWOP, an organization seeking to end the use of life without parole sentences. She additionally works with Survived and Punished, organizing to de-criminalize a person’s efforts to survive domestic and sexual violence. She is a graduate of San Francisco State University, having earned a bachelor’s degree in communication.
At age 22, Kelly had two young children, and was trapped in a relationship involving extreme domestic violence. With the help of others, she made plans to escape with her children, but when her abuser discovered the plan, he killed her three-year-old son, Justin. Kelly was wrongfully convicted of the crime. “While in prison, I educated myself about domestic violence, found my voice, and began to help others.” She created pathways for healing and education, hoping to assist others in finding freedom from violence and incarceration.
In 2017, the California governor recognized her exemplary personal growth and contributions to others and commuted her sentence. In 2018, she was paroled after 23 years in prison. She feels blessed to have reunified with a large family and is the proud aunt to 44 nieces and nephews.
Kelly believes leaders must play a role in creating a stronger, healthier community. Her leadership focuses on “healing the hurting hearts around me by being an example and source of hope.”
