Crime And Gender Essay Research Paper Crime
Crime And Gender Essay, Research Paper
Crime and Gender: Does the penalty tantrum?
Before the jury stands the suspect. There is overpowering grounds in the favour of the prosecution. The finding of fact comes back from the jury, non guilty. Why? The suspect is a adult female. In our epoch of equal rights and civil autonomies adult females have made great paces in their promotion and function in society, yet it seems that gender segregates when it comes to offense. There have been infinite instances where adult females and work forces have been tried for the same offense, yet when it comes to verdict and condemning, the consequences don & # 8217 ; t needfully fit. If one commits a offense one should be punished consequently irrespective of gender. In our society we seem to hold two separate regulations for our felons, one for work forces and one for adult females. The cardinal issue is are work forces and adult females treated every bit by the condemnable justness system. Another issue in gender biased sentencing is in its is its badness. Are adult females sentenced heavier for certain offenses so work forces.
From the start adult females who commit violent offenses are all ready in the spot-light. Society has grown rather accustomed to sing the adult females function in violent offenses as that of the victim. When the adult females is a lawbreaker it incites a gross media captivation as a freshness. Convicted adult females derive more ill fame so work forces who are found guilty of perpetrating the same offense. In certain instances like Amy Fisher, Loren Bobbit and most late Louise Woodward the media celebrate the force of adult females. If it had been a adult male who shot his lovers mate in the caput or slashed and dismembered their partner or agitate a babe to decease things would be different. The media would non give as in deepness of coverage to the test and sentencing would
Angelique Kalatzis
Sociology of Deviance page 2
be of a longer clip. The media escalates these adult females to such extremes due to the fact that there are so few adult females who are tried for reprehensively violent Acts of the Apostless. Society tends to be more sympathetic to adult females who commit violent offenses than work forces. To this twenty-four hours Americans are still loath to set adult females to decease. The recent executing of Karla Faye Tucker had the state in an tumult. This is because adult females are seen as less chilling and less unsafe so work forces.
Statistically adult females commit less offense so work forces. Womans in prison make up 8 % of federal prison and merely 5 % of province local prisons. Merely one in seven is functioning clip for a violent offense.
However when a adult females de
viates from her function in society she tends to be harshly punished. When she breaks from her nurturing, caring nature she is badly punished. Womans that are convicted of offenses like kid forsaking and assault, by and large receive a tougher sentence so work forces do convicted of similar offenses. Womans are besides given more terrible sentencing in drug instances so do work forces. When adult females and work forces are tried together for perpetrating the same offense, the adult females are treated by the tribunal as if they were led along in the offense by the adult male. Such is the instance in 1987 of Hedda Nussbaum. Hedda Nussbaum was free-basing cocaine, while her girl Lisa, lay deceasing from a barbarian whipping inflicted on her. Hedda was responsible for the maltreatment of her girl Lisa, as was her hubby Joel Steinberg. Yet society gave Nussbaum overpowering understanding and was presented as a victim herself and all charges were dropped when she testified against her hubby who is now in prison. Here is proof how when a adult male and adult females are both charged with perpetrating a offense together adult females receive discriminatory intervention.
Angelique Kalatzis
Sociology of Deviance page 3
The penalty should suit the offense non the gender. Person who murders is a liquidator. The fact that they are a male or female should non find their penalties. Let the act speak for itself non the sex or the condemnable. Until society can disregard its ideals of the functions of the sexes, unjust condemning will likely go on. If we want to advance equality in society it must be achieved in all countries including condemnable prosecution. Punishment should be based on the offense. There should besides be equality in condemning. Work force and adult females should be sentenced likewise when like offenses are done. Until society can alter its image of adult females as the incapacitated victim of offense, small will alter. When society can divide aberrant Acts of the Apostless from the gender of the lawbreaker, true equality will be achieved. Be it homicide or child abandonment society must handle the suspect the same, be it adult male or adult females. We must disregard our ideals and norms of gender and concentrate on the fat that a member of society committed an act against society and should be punished consequently.
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1- Verhovek, Sam: & # 8220 ; Dead Women Waiting: Who & # 8217 ; s Who on Death Row & # 8221 ; , NY Times, February 8, 1998
2- Butterfield Fox: & # 8220 ; Behind the Death Row Bottleneck & # 8221 ; , NY Times, January 25, 1998
3- Mansnerus Laura: & # 8220 ; Sometimes, the Punishment Fits the Gender & # 8221 ; , NY Times, November 16, 1997
