Final Exam Women Gender and Crime

A.Victimization and discrimination against women in the criminal justice system are major obstacles to equal justice for everyone. This issue disproportionately negatively affects women since females continue to face severe barriers to accessing the legal system as victims, witnesses, suspects, and detainees. Although the percentage of female offenders and female prisoners is growing faster, criminal justice systems primarily continue to serve male offenders and male prisoners. A lack of gender parity among criminal justice professionals is one of the key problems, as are discriminatory criminal laws and procedures, stigma, stigmatization, and impunity. A significant number of females have been victims of violence or abuse at some point in their lives (Mallicoat, 2018). There are several types of violent crime where women make up most victims, even though males are more likely to be victims overall. It is also more common for women to be assaulted by someone they know. Offenders get little (if any) penalties for their illegal actions since charges are not usually filed or are generally lowered via plea bargains when they ask for help from the criminal justice system. As a result of the delicate nature of these crimes, victims often feel as if their whole lives are being scrutinized by the criminal court system and the public. Therefore, it is not shocking that many women have lost trust in the criminal justice system.

The experiences of women in the legal justice system as victims have been significantly impacted by the feminist movement. Due to the work of feminists in the field of criminology, we now have a clearer understanding of the factors that motivate women to commit crimes and how their backgrounds and experiences shape their criminal behavior. Many women who have been victims for a long time now have their voices heard by a society that either condemns them for their crimes or disregards them completely (Mallicoat, 2018). Feminism has illuminated women's experiences in the legal justice system and the unique obstacles they encounter daily. Women's criminology has made important steps forward by recognizing the link between victimization and criminal behavior. Many women who commit crimes have themselves been victims. Most incarcerated women have suffered from physical, mental, or sexual abuse, and in many instances, they have been subjected to long-term, repeated acts of violence. Therefore, there is a substantial correlation between being a victim and committing a crime, and this correlation persists as a recursive pattern.

B.While males are more likely to commit crimes, female criminals tend to specialize in more serious offenses. The immoral act of prostitution is one example of this tendency. Prostitution is often seen as a victimless crime, even though women make up most of those arrested for this infraction. Women also disproportionately suffer from the effects of status transgressions. A status offense is an illegal conduct only because of the offender's age. When women commit crimes, particularly violent ones, they violate the societally established gender rules for female behavior. Therefore, women in these circumstances might risk punishment for breaching the law and transcending socially accepted gender norms.

There has been a change in policy and practice regarding the treatment of female offenders, resulting to to an increase female offenders sent to jail rather than being monitored in the community. This indicates a growing need for women-specific reintegration services and programs. The stigma associated with being labeled an ex-offender may hinder a woman's career prospects even after she has finished her term, highlighting the far-reaching nature of the unintended repercussions of women's imprisonment (Mallicoat, 2018). While most research on women and crime concentrates on victimization and perpetration, it is crucial to think about how questions of gender and sexuality affect the workplace, especially for individuals employed by the judicial system. Women in law enforcement, victim advocacy, probation and parole, and legal and judicial roles provide unique perspectives on the impact of sex and gender norms on women in these fields. Women's rights organizations played a significant role in the fight for equal representation of women in law enforcement. It is unknown who served as the first official female police officer. For many years, female officers' duties consisted solely of working with juvenile and adult female criminals. In addition, the organization of the police force was structured so that there were distinct divisions for female officers. The perception that the police agencies were "all boys clubs" therefore led to the segregation of the female officers who worked for such departments.

C.Women have been significantly underrepresented in the legal profession for a long time. There are many more male attorneys than female ones. In the realm of law, there is a lack of diversity regarding the representation of women of color. In most instances, women often earn less than men do. Women attorneys struggle with the same issues as other women in criminal justice when balancing work and home responsibilities (Mallicoat, 2018). Men, on the other, have a greater propensity than women to grow their careers and climb the corporate ladder. It is more probable that males will be given high-profile cases than women. It is a never-ending battle for women of color to establish themselves as lawyers. To get recognition and respect within their field, women of color sometimes have to do more effort than white women. Therefore, women in political roles are more likely to be Democrats than Republicans.

Men have dominated the legal profession for quite some time. Female participation in the judicial system has increased during the last several decades. Women are disproportionately represented in tribunals of broad jurisdiction. Female representation in the judiciary tends to be higher in liberal states than conservative ones (Mallicoat, 2018). Prior to 1981, there has never been a woman sitting on the Supreme Court. Presidents have nominated only a handful of women to the Supreme Court. Sandra Day O'Connor managed to be the first female judje in the supreme court. In 1981, then-President Ronald Reagan named her to her position. Even though many police departments have opened their doors to female officers, some continue to face prejudice and isolation. Within the ranks of police departments, female officers are often assigned to general duty. Just a few women serve in managerial capacities within the police department. A very small percentage of police officers are people of color who are women. Compared to White women, women of color are likelier to hold managerial roles in the workplace.

References

Mallicoat, S. L. (2018). Women, gender, and crime: Core concepts. Sage Publications.