NCJ Number
144326
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Criminal justice agencies in England and Wales should carefully examine the way in which they deal with female juveniles and young adults at each stage of case processing, because the experiences of girls and young women in the criminal justice system differs from that of males.
Abstract
Far fewer females than males have been convicted of offenses other than traffic law offenses and minor offenses. The peak age of offending for known female offenders is 15; for males, it is 18. Females tend to commit less serious crime than males. Theft of handling stolen goods is the most common offense committed by female offenders. Cautioning is the main disposition for young female offenders and is more common for females than males. Females are less likely to be incarcerated than males. However, the number of young black women in custody is disproportionately high. The very small number of females receiving lengthy sentences for serious crimes can result in a lack of availability of appropriate institutions. Only one institution provides places for youthful offenders with babies; as a result, young mothers with babies may be placed a long way from home. No simple explanation has been found for the differential processing of males and females, especially in the absence of good information about the relative nature and extent of offending by sex. However, for the first time, section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender. Therefore, a review of the handling of young females is needed. Tables and 8 references