At the Dallas County-Selma Public Library, a row of T-shirts hangs on a line in a hallway. One shows a stick-figure father berating a stick-figure child, while another proclaims a rape-victims desire to never be a victim again.

The heart-breaking and uplifting T-shirts are part of the state’s Clothes Line project, created by victims of domestic violence from all over Alabama, displayed as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“They (victims) started doing T-Shirts as a way to express themselves,” Nancy Travis, Director of the SABRA Sanctuary said. “The Clothes Line is a way to honor our victims.”

The project is an effort to bring awareness to the plight of domestic violence, and they have a visceral effect on the viewer.

Only six of the shirts hang in the Library’s hallway, but they’re scrawled with abusive statements (“You’re worthless!”) and declarations of hope (“Silent no more”).

Some of the shirts are made with the mature hand of an adult, while one is drawn with the ragged text of a child.

All of them immediately get attention, and reveal the mindset of the makers.

“A woman feels like she has no self esteem, she’s made to feel like she can’t do anything on her on,” Travis said. “I know the feeling of being put down and not thinking you’re OK.”

The SABRA Domestic Violence shelter tries to give the victims who visit the strength to overcome their sense of helplessness.

“That’s something we try to do when they get them to the shelter, let them know they are somebody,” Travis said.

Travis said the job isn’t easy. According to statistics, abuse victims return to their abusers four times before they decide to leave for good.

Travis said it gets hard on victims advocates and shelter workers.

Domestic violence has always been a problem everywhere and Selma is no exception.

Police Chief Robert Green said Selma’s domestic problem has risen slightly over the last year.

“We respond to so many domestic violence (calls),” Green said.

Green said the problem is growing but the response to the problem is growing as well. He cited stricter laws against domestic violence and better enforcement.

He said the calls can be some of the most dangerous calls a police officer can face.

“Officers can never consider those types of calls routine because when they’re in that type of mindset they can get hurt,” he said.

According to Green, it can be easy for suspects of domestic violence to turn on officers responding to a call, because they’re already in a mindset to commit violence.

Green’s, like Travis, is dedicated to helping domestic violence victims.

SABRA has a good history working with local law enforcement agencies. As part of Domestic Violence Awareness month, the organization is holding “Kiss a cop day,” where SABRA employees and volunteers will distribute chocolate kisses to law enforcement officers in the police department and the Sheriff’s Department to thank them for their help.

SABRA’s efforts don’t stop with helping the victims and honoring police efforts.

They also have programs devoted to batterers, to help with anger management problems.

The program lasts 16 weeks, and is held at the Cahaba Mental Health Center on Medical Center Parkway.

“We need to tell the men, hey this is not right,” Travis said. “They need to respect whoever’s living w/ them and take care of them.”

If you are someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the SABRA hotline, at 874-8711 or 1-800-650-6522.\