NCJ Number
57955
Date Published
1978
Length
78 pages
Annotation
PRISON RECORDS ARE USED TO DRAW A DESCRIPTIVE PROFILE OF THE 73 FEMALE INMATES HELD IN THE GOREE UNIT OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF MURDER. MOST WERE FIRST OFFENDERS AND MOST ACTED ALONE.
Abstract
CURRENT SOCIOLOGICAL LITERATURE CONTAINS MUCH SPECULATION BUT FEW STUDIES CONCERNING CRIMINALITY AMONG WOMEN. THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON THOSE OFFENDERS SOCIETY WOULD CONSIDER THE MOST VIOLENCE-PRONE, WOMEN CONVICTED OF MURDER. IN TEXAS, THIS WOMAN IS AN AVERAGE OF 27.5 YEARS OF AGE WHEN CONVICTED AND MOST LIKELY WHITE (49 PERCENT), ALTHOUGH 40 PERCENT WERE BLACK AND 11 PERCENT WERE MEXICAN-AMERICAN. SHE HAS AN EQUAL CHANCE OF BEING BORN IN A CITY, A RURAL AREA, OR OUT-OF-STATE. AT THE TIME OF THE CRIME THIS WOMAN WAS PROBABLY RESIDING IN A STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA OF TEXAS (80.1 PERCENT). SHE MOST LIKELY HAD BEEN MARRIED AT SOME TIME, IS PROBABLY AFFILIATED WITH THE BAPTIST CHURCH (WHICH IS THE LARGEST RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION IN TEXAS), MAY HAVE BEEN CONFINED TO A MENTAL INSTITUTION, GENERALLY FOR ALCOHOL OR DRUG PROBLEMS (28.8 PERCENT). SHE PROBABLY NEVER HAD BEFORE BEEN DETAINED OR PUT ON PROBATION; ALL BUT 9 OF THE WOMEN WERE FIRST OFFENDERS. EDUCATION DATA WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR 29 OF THE WOMEN, BUT ONLY 8 OF THOSE ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE DATA HAD ATTENDED MORE THAN 8 YEARS OF SCHOOL. STILL THE INTELLIGENCE LEVEL OF FEMALE MURDERERS IS HIGHER THAN THAT FOR FEMALE INMATES AS A WHOLE. SHE MORE THAN LIKELY ACTED ALONE (67.2 PERCENT) AND COMMITTED THE CRIME ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT. TABLES SUMMARIZE THE DATA, WHILE REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)