NCJ Number
194727
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2002 Pages: 300-315
Date Published
2002
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article examines the etiology of women's crime and the effects of incarceration on both women offenders and their children from a peacemaking criminological perspective.
Abstract
The main objective of this theoretical discussion is to put forth the notion that contemporary treatment programs for women offenders fail to address the circumstances of women's criminal acts. The article looks at women criminals from a peacemaking perspective, which holds that crime is best understood by examining the circumstances preceding the crime. According to the author, women's criminal acts are grounded in their exploitation. Women offenders have often been the victims of physical and sexual abuse for years before they are convicted of criminal misconduct. However, it is the author's contention that the contemporary model of criminal justice discounts the precipitating experiences of women offenders. Current strategies of treatment for offenders fail to address the life events that bring the women to commit criminal acts in the first place. The author also makes the point that women offenders are different from men offenders because of their status as mothers. Unlike male prisoners, women who are incarcerated tend to live with their children prior to going to prison. Treatment programs that specifically address parenting issues are necessary to help women and their children overcome problems caused by crime and incarceration. It is also the author's contention that drug addiction treatment and therapy that helps offenders deal with problems of past abuse are necessary to successfully return women to society. Notes, references