Women and the Criminal Justice System, 2nd Edition

This text examines the various roles of women in the criminal justice system against a social context in which women are oppressed.

 

The text examines the following three roles of women in criminal justice:

• Women as victims of crimes
• Women as criminals convicted and sentenced for crimes
• Women as workers in various agencies in the criminal justice system

I.INTRODUCTION.

1.Gender, Patriarchy, and Social Control.

 

The Study of Crime and the Male Perspective.

Importance of Patriarchy.

Feminist Theories.

Third-Wave Feminist.

Post-Modern Feminist.

Human Agency.

Oppression, Patriarchal Society, and the Criminal Justice System.

Gender, Class, and Race and Women in the Criminal Justice System.

The Empowerment Perspective.

Paradigm Shift.

II.WOMEN CRIMINALS.

2.Women in Crime.

 

Explanations of Female Crime.

Extent and Nature of Female Crime.

Women and Drug Offenses.

 

3.Feminist Theory and Research

 

Key Features that Distinguish Feminist Theories

The Problem of Generalizability

Masculinities and Crime

Feminist Epistemologies

Research Methods and Methodology

Policy and Action

 

4.Delinquency Across Life Course

 

The Life Course Perspective

Female Delinquency Across the Life Course

Gender Across the Life Course

A Feminist Theory of Delinquency

How Gender Bias Affects the Processing of the Female Delinquent

 

5.Women, Substance Abuse and Criminal Justice

 

First, The Statistics

Psychological Factors

Social/Societal Factors

Treatment Issues

Addicts Battle Back

Promising Developments

 

6.The Prison Environment.

 

History of the Women's Place.

The Population Profile.

Prisoner Profile

Prison Structure.

Attitudes toward Women in Prison.

Degrading Practices.

Inmate Litigation.

Women on Death Row.

Innovative Programs.

 

7.Restorative Justice Programs to Meet Female Offender Needs: Innovative Advocacy

 

Principals of Restorative Justice

The Four Models

1. Community Conferencing and Circle Sentencing
2. Family Group Conferencing (FGCs)
3. Reparation and Restitution
4. Victim-Offender Conferencing

Female Offender Special Needs

Innovative Programming

Adult Corrections

A Look at Program Effectiveness

Advocacy

III.WOMEN AS VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS.

8.Rape.

 

Historical Overview.

Prevalence.

Impact of the Mass Media.

Types of Rape.

Criminal Justice Response.

Psychological Trauma.

Treatment and Empowerment.

 

9.Wife and Partner Abuse.

 

Historical Overview.

Nature and Scope of the Problem.

Dynamics of Intimate Abuse.

Marital Rape.

Murder-Suicide.

Women Who Kill Their Husbands/Partners.

Theories of Partner Abuse.

The Substance Abuse Connection.

The Psychology of Male Abuse.

Children Witnessing Violence

Criminal Justice Process.

Human Rights Issues.

Empowerment.

 

10.Women’s Victimization: Global Perspectives

 

The Impact of Globalization

End Notes

Women’s Rights are Human Rights

Violations of Women Domestically

Community Level Victimization: Sex Trafficking

Victimization of Women at the State Level

Global Initiatives for Rights and Justice

IV.WOMEN AS PROFESSIONALS.

11.Women in Law Enforcement.

 

A History of Women in Policing.

Barriers of Women in Policing

Comparison of Male and Female Officers' Job Performance.

Gender, Race, and Culture.

Success in a Different Career Path.

Legal Protections.

 

12.Women in the Legal Profession.

 

Patriarch Nature of the World of Law.

History of Women in Law.

Law School Socialization.

Patriarchal Nature of the World of Law.

Legal Practice: Struggles in a Man's World.

Race, Class, and Gender.

Mass Media Images.

Strengths of Women Attorneys.

Significance of Women's Entrance into the Law.

 

13.Women in Corrections.

 

History of Women in Corrections.

Women Probation Officers.

Women Wardens.

The Correctional Counselor.

The Female Correctional Officer.

 

14.Summary and New Directions for the Future.

 

Theme of Gender, Class, and Race/Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation and Age.

Theme of Multiple Oppression of Gender, Class, and Race./Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation and Age.

Theme of Male-Oriented Social Construction of Knowledge.

Importance of Social Context.

Empowerment of Women Involved with the Justice System.

Future Trends.