FEMALE FELON (FROM REFORM IN CORRECTIONS - PROBLEMS AND ISSUES, 1977, BY HARRY E ALLEN AND NANCY J BERAN - SEE NCJ-46620)

• NCJ Number: 46625
• Author(s): M VEGA; SILVERMAN I; J ACCARDI
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: Praeger Publishers
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PREVIOUS STUDIES DESCRIBING THE NATURE OF FEMALE CRIMINALITY ARE UPDATED, AND RECENT TRENDS ARE EXAMINED USING DATA FROM THE FLORIDA PRISON SYSTEM.

Abstract

FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON THE NATURE OF FEMALE CRIMINALITY ARE BRIEFLY SKETCHED. IN THIS STUDY, DATA ARE REPORTED ON ALL 311 FEMALES ADMITTED TO THE FLORIDA CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM DURING FISCAL YEAR 1972-73 AND ARE COMPARED WITH DATA ON THE 4,485 MALES FELONS ADMITTED DURING THE SAME PERIOD. THE FEMALE POPULATION WAS ALSO BROKEN DOWN INTO WHITE/BLACK CATEGORIES. DATA FOR SEX AND RACE GROUPINGS WERE ANALYZED. EIGHTEEN VARIABLES WERE RELEVANT TO THE ANALYSIS. IN COMPARING MALE AND FEMALE OFFENDERS, MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND FOR THE FOLLOWING VARIABLES: MARITAL STATUS, OCCUPATION, NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS, USE OF ALCOHOL AND/OR NARCOTICS, LENGTH OF SENTENCE, OFFENSE, PRIOR FELONIES AND MISDEMEANORS, RECIDIVISM, AND PRIOR PAROLES. FEMALES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE MARRIED, AS WELL AS CLAIM MORE DEPENDENTS THAN MALES. MALES WERE TYPICALLY LABORERS WHILE FEMALES WERE TYPICALLY SERVICE WORKERS. ALTHOUGH 83 PERCENT OF BOTH SEX GROUPS WERE ALCOHOL AND/OR NARCOTICS USERS, A LARGER PROPORTION OF THE FEMALE GROUP WAS INVOLVED IN HEAVY NARCOTICS USE AS COMPARED WITH MALES. OFFENSE-RELATED DATA INDICATED MALES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE YOUNGER UPON ADMISSION; TO HAVE HAD A PRIOR FELONY CONVICTION; AND TO HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED FOR BREAKING AND ENTERING, ROBBERY, OR NARCOTICS-RELATED OFFENSES. ON THE OTHER HAND, FEMALES WERE OLDER; MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HAD A PRIOR MISDEMEANOR RECORD; AND TENDED TO HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED FOR MURDER, NARCOTICS-RELATED OFFENSES OR FORGERY. MALES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE RECIDIVISTS OR TO HAVE BEEN PAROLED MORE OFTEN THAN FEMALES. IN COMPARING BLACK AND WHITE FEMALES, SIMILARITIES WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS REGARDING HARMFUL HOME INFLUENCES AND RECIDIVISM. MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND FOR THE FOLLOWING VARIABLES: INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT, EDUCATION, MARITAL STATUS, NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS, OCCUPATION, STATUS OF PARENTAL HOME AND AGE WHEN PARENTAL HOME WAS BROKEN, USE OF ALCOHOL AND/OR NARCOTICS, AGE OF ADMISSION, OFFENSE, AND SENTENCING. TABLES SHOWING THE RESULTS OF THE DATA COLLECTED ARE INCLUDED. ALSO, BRIEF COMMENTS ARE OFFERED AS EXPLANATIONS FOR THE FINDINGS. (RCB)