NCJ Number
85497
Date Published
1982
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This study examines the status of women professionals in criminal justice, reviews prevailing employment practices and women's experiences within the various justice system components, and analyzes the barriers to equal employment women continue to face.
Abstract
Despite recent legislative, judicial, and executive steps taken to guarantee equal employment opportunities, there has been no great increase in the employment of women across occupational categories, including criminal justice. Among the major barriers to equal employment of women in policing are the veterans' preference system, physical requirements, and the sexual stereotyping of women officers by their male colleagues and superiors. Women are numerically underrepresented in the court system as judges, and they tend to be subjected to a pattern of specialization in matrimonial and juvenile courts. Women also confront tokenism and discrimination as lawyers and prosecutors. Major barriers to women being employed in corrections include (1) the veterans' preference system, (2) sexual stereotyping, (3) safety considerations for women in male correctional environments, (4) inmate 'rights' to privacy, and (5) the issue of equality of assignment between the sexes. There is optimism, however, because legislation has laid the foundation for progress; women have successfully breached occupations previously reserved for men; women moving into top echelon jobs will open the way for others to follow; and the combined progress of women working within criminal justice at all levels will generate the momentum needed to accelerate current trends. A total of 105 notes are listed.