NCJ Number
133887
Date Published
1986
Length
193 pages
Annotation
This study investigated women who commit offenses against the person using a sample of Canadian female offenders who had been accused of robbery, involuntary manslaughter, attempted murder, or kidnapping.
Abstract
Of 19 women interviewed, 8 were in an institution, 2 were in a halfway house, and 9 were released on parole. Eleven of the 19 women were 25 years old or less. Most women came from large families and lived in an urban environment; their socioeconomic status was lower middle class. Most respondents had bitter memories of their family life and described it as an environment in which family members communicated very little with each other. Eight adolescents ran away several times when they were 12 or 13 years old, and 11 adolescents were school dropouts. Female offenders associated with fringe groups involved in various illegal activities at an early age. The women had tried all types of drugs, and one of their main preoccupations was to obtain money for drugs. Differences were quite apparent between those sentenced for involuntary manslaughter or attempted murder and those apprehended for robbery. The two most common types of offenses among respondents were simple theft and drug trafficking. Ten women actively participated in planning the offense, most were arrested immediately after the offense, and few participated in or committed violent offenses on a regular basis. The authors conclude that female offenders lived in difficult socioeconomic conditions and played a secondary role in the world of crime. The interview questionnaire is appended. 65 references and 6 tables