WOMEN CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

1
WOMEN CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

• FEMALES AS CRIMINALS

2
AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• DESPITE RECENT MORAL PANICS FEMALE CRIMINALITY
  HAS ALWAYS EXISTED
• CRIMES ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSGRESSION OF
  FEMALE NORMS AND VALUES. INFANTICIDE,
  PROSTITUTION AND WITCHCRAFT.
• BUT WOMEN ARE CAPABLE OF NATURALLY MASCULINE
  CRIMES
• BOADICCA WHO LED THE CELTS AGAINST THE ROMAN
  EMPIRE
• CLEOPATRA LAST OF THE PHARAOHS
• MATA HARI- FAMOUS GERMAN SPY -EXECUTED IN 1917
• ROSE WEST AND MYRA HINDLY- GUILTY OF CHILD ABUSE
  AND MURDER

3
PROFILES AND PATTERNS

• FACT- WOMEN COMMIT LESS CRIME THAN MEN
• BUT -WHAT TYPES OF CRIME DO WOMEN COMMITT?
• TRADITIONALLY WE ASSOCIATE FEMALE CRIME WITH
  SEXUALITY AND GENDER NORMS EG PROSTITUTION AND
  INFANTICIDE
• BETWEEN 1994 AND 2002 THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY
  INCREASE IN FEMALE CRIME IN ENGLAND AND WALES
  (HMSO 2003)

4
INCREASE IN CERTAIN TYPES OF CRIMES

• BETWEEN 1994 AND 2002 CRIMES INCREASED IN THE
  FOLLOWING AREAS-
• BURGLARY
• ROBBERY
• FRAUD
• CRIMINAL DAMAGE
• (HMSO 2003)

5
WOMEN OUTNUMBER MEN IN THE FOLLOWING CRIMES

• CRUELTY TO OR NEGLACT OF CHILDREN
• CONCEALKMENT OF BIRTH
• BROTHEL KEEPING
• OFFENCE BY A PROSTITUTE
• THE TWO MOST POULAR INDICTABLE OFFNCES (MOST
  SERIOUS) ARE-
• VIOLENCE AGAINST THE PERSON
• DRUG OFFENCES
• HOWEVER STILL MOST COMMON CRIME IS THEFT AND
  HANDLING OF STOLEN GOODS 38 OF WHICH IS FROM
  SHOPS.

6
SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE CRIMINALS

• AGE
• 70 OF SENTENCED WOMEN IN CUSTODY IN 2001 WERE
  AGED BETWEEN 21 39
• 14 OF ALL WOMEN IN CUSTODY IN 2001 WHERE
  JUVENILE OFFENDERS (UNDER 21) Home Office 2002)

7
MARITAL STATUS AND CHILDREN

• 2/3 WOMEN IN PRISON SINGLE COMPARED TO 17 OF
  OUTSIDE POPULATION
• 20 LONE PARENTS COMPARED TO 9 OF THE OUTSIDE
  POPULATION
• 55 HAD AT LEAST 1 CHILD UNDER 16
• (Home Office 2002)

8
EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION

• 40 HAD NOT WORKED FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS BEFORE
  ENTERING PRISON
• 61 HAD NO EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (SOCIAL
  EXCLUSION UNIT 2002)
• HALF PRISON POPULATION BELOW THE LEVEL OF 11 YEAR
  OLDS IN READING, 2/3 NUMERACYAND 4/5 WRITING

9
WELFARE /HEALTH CHARACTERISTICS

• MORE THAN 50 OF WOMEN IN PRISON HAVE EXPERIENCED
  PHYSICAL AND/OR SEXUAL ABUSE.
• 70 HAVE AT LEAST 2 MENTAL DISORDERS COMPARED TO
  5 OF THE POPULATION
• (SOCIAL EXCLUSION UNIT 2002)
• IN 1993 ONE FEMALE SUICIDE IN PRISON . DURINIG
  2002/3 14 (MACKENZIE 2003)
• 579 PER 1000 OF THE FEMALE PRISON POPULATION SELF
  HARM (ASH 2003)
• 345 OF WOMEN IN PRISON HAVE A DRUG DEPENDANCY
  (ASH 2003 ) SOME THRORISTS SUGGEST THAT FIGURE IS
  MUCH HIGHER.