The Abuse and Trauma of Virgia Brewer: A Voice We Need to Hear

To meet Virgia Brewer today, you’d see a woman of strength, warmth, and grace. What you wouldn’t see—what she carries quietly—is a harrowing past of decades-long abuse and trauma and survival. Beginning at the age of seven, Virgia was sexually exploited and abused—by members of her own family. Her early life was marked by pain no child should endure, and her journey into adulthood was shaped by addiction, incarceration, and the cycles of systems that often punish before they understand.

Her story unfolds in two powerful parts:

00:00 – Introduction

01:05 – Part 1: A raw, unflinching account of her childhood and early adulthood: abuse and trauma, addiction, and repeated encounters with the justice system. Her voice here is not just personal—it represents countless others failed by the systems meant to protect them.

45:49 – Part 2: A story of redemption. Of spiritual awakening. Of love without conditions. Virgia’s transformation began when a man named Sylvester—now her husband—entered her life with patience, faith, and compassion. Through him, she found healing and hope.

Virgia’s life reminds us that we cannot talk about justice without first understanding the journey that led someone to where they are. Her story urges us to rethink what true justice means—and to recognize the redemptive potential in every human being.

This episode of Justice Voices is one of the most important we’ve shared. If we are to build public will for real criminal justice reform, stories like Virgia’s must be heard—not by dozens, but by thousands. Hundreds of thousands.

Listen to her voice. She deserves to be heard. And more than that—we need to listen.

Please share this episode on your social platforms. Help us amplify voices that too often go unheard.

To support Justice Voices and help us continue this mission, visit justicevoices.org. We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and your support is tax-deductible.

Spread the word. Stand with us. Be part of the change.