Steering Committee Bios

Andrea | Diana | Johanna | Angie
Gloria | Nancy | Cassie

Gloria Killian

Gloria Killian was released from prison on 8/8/02 after serving more than 16 years on a sentence of 32 years to life for a crime that she did not commit. Throughout her trial and incarceration she always maintained her innocence. In March 2002 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that her conviction was based solely on perjured testimony and overturned her conviction.

As a former law student, Ms. Killian was assigned to the prison law library where she worked for 14 years, providing legal assistance to other inmates. She worked extensively with battered women, as well as others, and developed specialized legal services for many different areas of the prison. She was instrumental in the founding of the USC Law Project at the California Institution for Women.

During her time in prison, Ms. Killian published several articles including two that were featured in the USC Law Review, entitled Equal Justice for Some and Justice: One Woman's Perspective. The second article was co-authored with Brenda Aris, one of the first battered woman to be granted clemency in the State of California. Ms. Killian also drafted the media and outreach campaign that led to the release of Ms. Aris.

Since her release, Ms. Killian has been tirelessly advocating for the humane treatment and release of the women that she left behind. She works as a consultant to agencies in the criminal justice and public policy fields, and has been the keynote speaker at several symposiums. She has testified for Select Committees of the California Legislature, and spoken extensively about the issues and concerns of incarcerated women. She is now the Executive Director of her own non-profit organization, the Action Committee for Women in Prison.

Ms. Killian's experiences with the criminal justice system and the advocacy work that she is doing was featured on 48 Hours in September 2003 on CBS. She is also featured in a new book, Paths to Freedom, by Alexis Powers. A movie is currently being developed about Ms. Killian's life and she is writing a book about her journey to justice. She also plans to return to Law School to complete her studies.

Read "Forget Me Not," a poem Gloria wrote while incarcerated.

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