NCJ Number
223218
Date Published
2007
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses the themes which have been developed in the book and comes to some conclusions about what does and what does not work for women offenders and suggests a way forward.
Abstract
Each of the authors in this book highlight the needs of women in the criminal justice system and point to the fact that women offenders have multiple problems. The backgrounds of the women in prison are characterized by experiences of abuse, drug misuse, poor educational attainment, poverty, psychological distress, and self-harm. While men often share many of these characteristics, problems amongst female prisoners are generally more acute even though their offending presents less of a threat to public safety. Female prisoners are more likely to have a history of physical or sexual abuse and more likely to face issues relating to the care of their children. They are also more likely to be convicted of acquisitive or greedy crimes and less likely to be convicted of violent crimes in comparison to men. The contributions of this book highlight the importance of women having access to what has been referred to as the structural preconditions of social justice: housing, employment, and health facilities, without which, they have no chance of reconstituting their own lives or those of their families. What overwhelmingly emerges is the need for greater awareness and acknowledgement in court proceedings of the impact of imprisonment on women, and the use of dispositions that keep less-serious offenders out of prison. References