Women S Crimes Criminology And Corrections

Historically, women have been an afterthought in criminal justice policymaking and the criminological enterprise. The study of criminology has largely been the study of criminal men, because women commit less crime than men. More recently, criminologists have paid increased attention to the population of female offenders, partly because of their growing numbers and partly because of the tens of thousands of children affected by having their mothers in prison or on supervised release. The recent attention, however, has not necessarily been a good thing for women, who are much more likely to be formally prosecuted and incarcerated today than in decades past. This policy shift has come about partly because of misinformed policies implemented to “help” women, and partly because of shifts in theorists’ beliefs and public perceptions that women and men are similar in their criminal motivations and should, therefore, be treated similarly. The controversy surrounding this perception is the focus of this book. To better comprehend the challenges facing women in the criminal justice system, the author (a winner of the Bruce Smith Sr. Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences) employs research findings and statistics to: describe the prevalence and patterns of women’s crimes; review criminological theories, specifically examining how well they explain female criminality; understand female juvenile offenders, reviewing crime rates, theories relating to female delinquency, and detention-related issues; look inside the women’s prison to better understand female prisoners and their world; examine classification and programming issues—particularly the impact of gender-specific programming; and explore the problems experienced by women upon release and the related issue of women’s recidivism.

This book takes a comprehensive look at women in America's prisons, covering the history of women's prisons, crime rates, and sentencing practices. It provides detailed descriptions of prisoner subcultures, programs, management and staff issues, and legal issues of female prisoners, while also expanding beyond U.S. soil to compare women's prisons in other countries.

This text provides a comprehensive and unique view into the world of women interacting with the criminal justice system.

The History, Evolution, and Current State of Female Offenders: Recommendations for Advancing the Field summarizes what the field has learned about females and crime; details the status of legislation and criminological research focused on female criminality; and provides recommendations for advancing the field. Van Gundy and James present the material from a gendered approach with the goal of analyzing the current understanding of the relationship between gender and crime. Tracing the intellectual history of feminist criminology from its foundations to the present time, the authors follow four primary themes: What do we know about the relationship between gender and crime? What special needs do female offenders have? What works and doesn’t work for female offenders? What can or should we do from here? Reaching back to Carol Smart’s seminal 1976 book, Women, Crime and Criminology: A Feminist Critique (available through Routledge Revivals), the authors note that in some ways, modest progress has been made, but large gaps in research and policy still exist. This much-needed book provides an overarching view of the history and evolution of the understanding of the relationship between gender and crime, detailed analysis of seminal work and criminological studies, an exploration of incarceration, reentry and programing, and concrete recommendations for future research. These recommendations focus on the importance of creating and utilizing theoretical models that measure the role of gender and identity, inclusion of female-specific variables when examining and responding to criminality, and the necessity of policymakers and legislators to address female criminality from a gendered lens. The book will appeal to those who are interested in females and criminality, race and ethnicity, policy and evaluation, criminal behavior, criminology, and students in courses in sociology, psychology, women and gender studies, social justice, black world studies, gerontology, and criminology/criminal justice, as well as policymakers and practitioners in the field. It will inspire researchers to ask the kinds of questions that will advance the field of feminist criminology in the future.

'The Female Offender' challenges the long-standing tradition of male-dominated criminology theory and research which has taken little or no account of gender differences.

A rich examination of the neglect and abuses occurring to women in correctional facilities, Women, Incarceration, and Human Rights Violations draws upon a wealth of case studies from around the world and class action lawsuits to shed light on ’covert’ abuse such as sexual or physical abuse, as well as ’overt’ abuse such as the denial of medical treatment. Adopting a feminist framework, this book offers a comparative evaluation of abuse in domestic and international correctional facilities, demonstrating the extent to which women are at high risk of being sexually abused and re-victimized in the correctional system, where pregnancy and other specific medical and health issues are consistently ignored. Calling attention to the necessity of addressing the gender-specific needs of women who are incarcerated, Women, Incarceration, and Human Rights Violations offers a review of current policy, laws, and regulation bearing on the issue, while providing concrete recommendations and policy changes to address abuses. As such it will appeal to sociologists, criminologists, and policymakers concerned with questions of gender, penology, and institutional abuse.

The number of female offenders in the United States is skyrocketing. Our "tough on crime" approach puts a female offender behind bars, but doesn't consider the factors eading to her incarceration. Female Offenders: Critical Perspectives and Effective Interventions, Second Edition proposes an alternative, one that truly addresses the needs of female offenders and the root issues connected to their maladaptive behaviors, trauma histories, and mental health problems. By focusing on these root issues, this text prepares future correctional managers and supervisors to rehabilitate and empower female offenders to reenter society in a meaningful and productive way.The Second Edition includes chapters written by experts in the field that discuss the diversity of issues facing female offenders in our culture from a variety of perspectives. Grounded in the relevant research and literature, this book blends theory with practice by presenting theories on the rehabilitation of female offenders alongside program models and effective strategies for reentry into society.