Gender Politics in the Criminal Justice System Essay -- Women Governme

The United States criminal justice system, an outwardly fair organization of integrity and justice, is a perfect example of a seemingly equal situation, which turns out to be anything but for women. The policies imposed in the criminal justice system affect men and women in extremely dissimilar manners. I plan to examine how gender intersects with the understanding of crime and the criminal justice system. Gender plays a significant role in understanding who commits what types of crimes, why they do so, who is most often victimized, and how the criminal justice system responds to these victims and offenders. In order to understand the current state of women and the way in which gender relates to crime and criminal justice, it is first necessary to provide a comprehensive analysis of the historical evolution of women in the criminal justice system and the affect that the different waves of feminism have had on policies and practices towards women in this system. I plan to argue that t he criminal justice system is another form of patriarchal control, a sexist organization which creates conflict between the private sphere of a woman's life and the public. This control extends far beyond the just incarcerated women, it affects all women. Despite the fact that there have been changes to certain policies and prison regulations, though made with resistance, none of the changes have been for the better. By looking at past and present situations as well as the differing feminist perspectives on the justice system, I hope to offer ways and opinions on how to improve this system and allow women to equally balance their life in the public sphere as well as their life in the private sphere. Before I begin, however, I would like to explain ... ...in the United States, 1800-1900"; Feminist Studies Heidensohn, Frances. 1986. Women and Crime: The Life of the Female Offender. New York: New York University Press Woolf, Virginia. Three Guineas, 1968 Harvest/HBJ Book Freedman, Estelle. 1974. "Their Sisters' keepers: A Historical Perspective on the Female Correctional Institutions in the United States, 1800-1900"; Feminist Studies Cynthia Enloe. Making Sense of the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in an American Election Year "What Does a Feminist Curiosity Have to Offer?" (2004) Belknap, Joanne. 2001"Gender, Crime and Justice"; The Invisible Woman, Canada: Wadsworh Group Rebecca Walker, 2002. "Ms." Magazine "I Am The Third Wave," Van Voorhis, Patricia. 1991. "The Impact of Race and Gender on Correctional Officers' Orientation to the Integrated Environment." Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency