Resurj, a global alliance of feminists advocating for sexual, reproductive and gender justice from across the globe, met in New York on April 16-17 2016 to scrutinize and identify the shortcomings and challenges of penal policies in addressing sexual and reproductive rights violations. After two days of fruitful discussions, case study presentations, and debates, Resurj produced a brief statement to summarize the findings of the meeting and as a contribution to further the debate.