Women and criminal justice
“As the world around us grows more violent and less understandable, our need for vengeance and revenge seems to be growing at a camparable rate. The challenging reality we might have to (we know we do) face, if we are serious about making a difference for our children and grandchildren and turning the tide of increasing societal violence (all types of abuse), is that until we stop shifting the blame and looking for solutions and work instead on finding the courage to deal with the issues in a holistic way, nothing will change.”
“Historically the attitudes of some of those who have been involved in the oversight of women within the criminal justice system have incorporated seeing women as the weaker sex and thus less responsible for their deviant behaviour. ”
“Things are changing in this regard, with women increasingly being held accountable as adults for the crimes they commit rather than being simply seen as ‘naughty girls’. The arrival of female and younger male judges on the bench appears to have had an impact in this regard.
“It has seemed at times in the past as if the different treatment has been not only about a failure to see women as adults responsible for their bahaviour, but also about a reluctance to send women to prison because doing so allowed the women to evade their responsibility as a mother. ”
“It can only be a good thing that women’s criminal behaviour is now being judged on the basis of more objective and less patriarchal criteria.”
Lashlie, Celia. (2002) “The journey to prison, who goes and why”. Published by HarperCollins (NZ) Ltd.
We are still considering women to be needed in the home and as the weaker sex in some circles but as the femisnist movement and masculinist movement continues so will the accountability. Also as father’s are being seen to be just as capable in parenting, women will receive thier due. I have great faith that we can achieve equality, fairness and balance as those learning the hardships speak out.