Women In The Criminal Justice System

Women today make up about 17% of all offenders in the United States. There have been issues that regard meeting the needs of women when it comes to the criminal justice system. In the areas of arrests, sentencing decisions, and incarceration, women are being treated differently. Due to the overwhelming amount of male offenders, women’s needs are often overshadowed and the criminal justice system does not know how to handle the rise of female crime rates. When it comes to policies and laws, they are based off the male offender, so when a female commits the same crimes, they are often being over classified and receive harsh penalties. Women’s drive to commit crime is mostly driven by economic issues, whether it is poverty or alcohol and drug

abuse. There is a difference between men and women in the criminal justice system because they have diverse levels of violence and their threats to the community differ. Drug offenses is the most common offense that women commit and are being subjected to severe punishments. A major role in women’s incarceration is children and it is common for women who are incarcerated to be the sole provider of the child, which can later influence their decisions because they are concerned for the well-being of their child. The criminal justice system needs to take into account that women and men differ in the reasons why they commit crime, the level of seriousness, and how women respond to different treatments than men. Instead of just arresting and sentencing them the justice system needs to find more effective alternatives, so these women can deter from crime. By creating an environment for women that displays respect and safety it can provide a behavioral change because it is essential for women to be in a supported supervision. Instead of just locking them up and throwing away the key, the environment that they are living in should be consistent and safe in order for an effective corrective process to begin.