Who is Nikki Addimando?
Nikki is a mother, sister, aunt, friend—and a criminalized survivor in New York’s Hudson Valley. In September 2017, she was forced to kill her abusive partner in self-defense. She had more evidence of domestic violence than most survivors. Yet Nikki was aggressively prosecuted during her 2019 trial in Poughkeepsie, where much of her evidence was suppressed. The prosecution relied on false narratives, domestic violence myths, and misogyny to secure a conviction. It worked.
In February 2020, Nikki was sentenced by Judge Edward T. McLoughlin to 19 years to life in prison. In 2021, the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division powerfully rejected the “methodology, approach, application, and analysis” Judge McLoughlin applied to sentence Nikki, and amended Nikki’s sentence to 7.5 years under The Domestic Violence Survivors’ Justice Act.
Learn more about Nikki’s abuse and injustice at the hands of our criminal justice system: Nikki’s Case and FAQs.
Nikki is FREE!
On January 4th, 2024, Nikki was released from prison. She is reunited with her children and has been surrounded by loving friends and family that have welcomed her home.
If you would like to make a donation in support of her homecoming, you can do so HERE.
Thank you to all who have helped make this possible!
dear sister: a memoir of secrets, survival, and unbreakable bonds
While Nikki was facing a life sentence, her sister, Michelle, wrote a memoir about supporting Nikki during her incarceration, raising her young kids through family trauma, and launching a fight to bring Nikki home—squaring off against a criminal justice system seemingly designed to punish the entire family.
An Amazon Editor’s pick and a New York Times notable book, “Dear Sister” explores “the twin darknesses of private violence and carceral violence,” according to the Southern Review of Books. It’s also a story of resilience, deep injustice, life-sustaining community, and the unbreakable bond of family.
Order your copy of “Dear Sister” here or wherever you get your books.
