NCJ Number
163363
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1996) Pages: 431-454
Date Published
1996
Length
24 pages
Annotation
Interviews were conducted with 104 adult female felons in Texas regarding their most recent criminal offenses to determine the extent to which women played either dominant leadership roles or secondary follower roles during criminal events.
Abstract
Open-ended questions were used to examine female offender perceptions of involvement with accomplices and the degree to which men influenced female involvement in criminal behavior. The focus was on two main issues: (1) primary and secondary crime roles differentiated by offense; and (2) race and gender relations within crime groups in initiating and committing criminal acts. Data were obtained from 104 adult female felons sentenced to a residential community facility in Texas. About half the women had been sentenced to the boot camp as an alternative to prison, while the remaining women had violated their probation conditions and were sent to the boot camp. Findings revealed a larger proportion of black women played primary and equal crime roles than white and Hispanic women. About 15 percent of the total sample committed certain crimes alone (assault, driving while intoxicated, forgery, and theft). Crimes such as robbery, burglary, and drug dealing were more likely to be committed with male accomplices who provided women an opening into deviant networks. About 14 percent of the sample played primary roles and nearly 30 percent played equal roles when committing felonious behavior with others. Women who played primary roles felt men had little influence in initiating or leading them into crime. About 38 percent of the women did not aspire to primary deviant roles. 66 references and 6 tables