Research on Women and Girls in the Justice System

There is a common perception that the criminal behavior of women and
the delinquent behavior of girls are not serious problems. Women are
more likely to commit minor offenses and have historically constituted
a very small proportion of the offender population. But these facts
mask a trend that is beginning to attract attention. The dramatic rise in
the number of prison and jail inmates is fairly well known; less so is
that the ranks of women inmates are increasing much faster than those
of their male counterparts. The pace at which women are being convicted
of serious offenses is picking up faster than the pace at which
men are convicted.

These dynamics make the papers on women and girls in the justice
system, presented here, especially timely. What animates the studies
is not so much numbers of offenders but the particular circumstances of
the women and girls “behind” the numbers. The authors call for “redefining
justice,” the theme of the plenary session at which their papers

Whether justice should promote unalloyed equity, be blind to the circumstances
in which crime is committed, and consider only gravity
of offense and prior record, is still a matter of debate. In the current
sentencing environment, the view of those who favor equity above all
other considerations has won the day. There is another perspective—the
belief that sanctions ought to be tailored to the specific characteristics
and circumstances of individual offenders. Implicit in the three papers
is the suggestion that gender is a special consideration warranting differential
treatment. The writers amply demonstrate that women and girls who are caught up in the justice system enter it as a result of circumstances distinctly different from those of men, and so find themselves at a distinct disadvantage were presented, to take these circumstances into account.