PROMIS (PROSECUTOR'S MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM) RESEARCH PROJECT - THE FEMALE DEFENDANT IN WASHINGTON, DC - 1974 AND 1975

• NCJ Number: 48636
• Author(s): R J SIMON; N SHARMA
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 78 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-NI-99-008; 75-NI-99-0111; 76-NI-99-0118; 77-NI-99-0060
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: INSLAW
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

INFORMATION ON ARRESTEES AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE ARREST IS PROVIDED, AND A COMPARISON IS MADE BETWEEN THE HANDLING OF WOMEN AND MEN IN THE PRETRIAL AND TRIAL PROCESSES.

Abstract

DATA FOR THIS STUDY WERE PROVIDED FROM THE PROSECUTOR'S MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND THE NATIONAL ARREST STATISTICS FROM THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS FOR 1974 AND 1975. IT WAS FOUND THAT IN 1974 AND 1975 WOMEN IN WASHINGTON, D.C., ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 15 PERCENT OF ALL ARRESTEES, COMPARED WITH THE NATIONAL RATE OF 16 PERCENT. THEY WERE MOST LIKELY TO COMMIT VICTIMLESS OFFENSES, WITH PROSTITUTION BEING THE MAJOR OFFENSE IN THIS CATEGORY. COMPARED WITH NATIONAL STATISTICS, HOWEVER, WOMEN ARRESTED IN THE DISTRICT WERE MORE LIKELY THAN WOMEN IN THE NATION AS A WHOLE TO BE CHARGED WITH VIOLENT OFFENSES AND ROBBERY. EIGHTY-TWO PERCENT OF ALL FEMALE ARRESTEES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WERE BLACK, WITH THE AVERAGE AGE BEING 28 YEARS. OVER 70 PERCENT ACTED ALONE, USED A WEAPON, AND IN THE CASE OF VIOLENT OFFENSES, A RELATIVE OR FRIEND WAS THE VICTIM. WOMEN WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE CHARGED WITH FELONIES THAN WERE MEN; AND ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN, AS COMPARED WITH 50 PERCENT OF THE MEN, HAD BEEN ARRESTED BEFORE. IN TRACKING WOMEN THROUGH THE VARIOUS STAGES OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, IT WAS FOUND THAT ABOUT THE SAME PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN AS MEN HAD THEIR CASES DROPPED BY THE PROSECUTOR OR DISMISSED BY THE JUDGE. THERE WERE SOME DIFFERENCES WITHIN OFFENSE CATEGORIES; FOR INSTANCE, WOMEN CHARGED WITH PROPERTY OR ECONOMIC OFFENSES WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE THE CHARGES 'NOLLED.' AMONG THE 30 PERCENT OF DEFENDANTS WHO PLED OR WERE FOUND GUILTY, A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF MEN THAN WOMEN WERE SENTENCED TO PRISON. CAUTION IS URGED BY THE RESEARCHER IN INTERPRETING ANY OF THESE RESULTS, BECAUSE THERE WERE UNEXPLAINED, WIDE FLUCTUATIONS IN STATISTICS EXAMINED BETWEEN 1974 AND 1975. THE APPENDIXES PROVIDE STATISTICS USED AND THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSES. (RCB)