It is no secret that over the last several decades, prison populations have grown exponentially due to an increasingly “tough on crime” policy stance and war on drugs. Although male offending populations continue to make up the majority of prison inmates nationwide, the fastest growing prison population has actually been female offenders, many who are locked up for nonviolent offenses like drug possession and larceny. Until recently, female offenders have been treated as an afterthought to male-dominated prison statistics. However, further research shows that female offending patterns are starkly different from their male counterparts, and women are contributing to higher recidivism rates because of their unmet needs prior to, during, and after incarceration. Therefore, this paper argues that state and federal governments must institute gender-responsive policies in order to combat stubbornly high recidivism rates through reentry alternatives, especially halfway houses.

The purpose of this study has been to describe the process that women go through before they choose to end their criminal careers in order to hightlight main factors that play an important role for women´s destistance. The study also intends to investigate what causes the woman to maintain the abandonment and not fall back into crime. In order to answer the study's purpose, semistructured interviews with nine former criminal woman have been carried out. The paper starts with some earlier research in the field of women´s criminality. After that we show our results and analyze them by applying Ebuaghs (1988) Role exit theory and with help from Hirschis (2002) theory about social bonds.  The results show that childrelated events and the time spent in treatment-centers has had a major impact on most of the women.  Age-related events have also been significant for women's decisions to end their criminality. A fundamental factor for maintaining the abandonment has been the women's conviction and belief in wanting to succeed. Other events that turned out to be significant were thematized to: the importance of social support, employment and a community outside of crime.

Through qualitative interviewing and narrative analysis, this study sought to illuminate and examine the life story of a formerly incarcerated Trinidadian woman. To gain insight into her experiences across the life course, criminal and conventional, I conducted two semi-structured interviews with the same woman in the context of Trinidad and Tobago, focusing on experiences of motherhood, interpersonal relationships, employment, and those of incarceration. The aim was to uncover the events and relationships that the study participant presented as the most significant and determinative in her life story. Through narrative analysis, I also sought to understand how they could be further interpreted through four tenets of life course theory: agency, interpersonal relationship effects, events’ timing and sequence, and the historical context. Narrative analysis identified victimisation, the subsequent undermining of personal agency, motivated advocacy and motherhood’s responsibilities as the narratives that were most central to the participant’s presentation of her life story’s trajectories. Identifying both events and personal interpretations of those events, I have posited that qualitative narrative analysis paired with a life course approach can identify experiences crucial to the development and motivation of criminal behaviour. I have also put forward that a greater focus on qualitative research into female offenders’ life histories in the Caribbean region would serve to deepen both the global and regional knowledge bases, and to better inform public policy with offender-oriented insight.

Adultery, abortion, witchcraft, sex work, are crimes that have historically until today been identified as predominantly female crimes. By criminalizing them, the patriarchal society exercises a control of the body and sexuality of women to maintain and remain them in their gender norms. However, patriarchal society participated in their victimization. In fact, many women in prison have been abused in their childhood and often faced a continuous victimization. The aim of this thesis, using feminist theories and critical discourse analysis as part of a case study, is to understand to what extent the patriarchal system has an impact on the creation of the female offender arguing that female offenders are victims of the patriarchal system before being criminals. The analysis of discourses surrounding the case of Lisa Montgomery demonstrates that gender has an impact on how people are criminalized and punished. The abuses often overlooked by the system have an impact on the crime trajectories of female offenders. However, the justice system rarely takes those aspects into consideration, especially when the female offender does not fit her gender norms. She is then described as an inhuman monster who deserves a severe punishment. This participates to maintain and reinforce patriarchy by recalling societal norms of femininity. The case of Montgomery represents thus one of many cases in which female offenders are, before being an offender, a victim of the system that allowed her continuous victimization.

No description available.

Bei Betrachtung des Gewaltdiskurses im Familienkontext fällt auf, dass in Bezug auf elterliche Gewalt gegen Kinder die Gewaltausübung überwiegend mit Männern in Verbindung gebracht oder gänzlich auf sie beschränkt wird. Gegenstand der Abschlussarbeit stellt dabei nicht die überwiegende Verknüpfung von Gewalt mit dem Bild von Männlichkeit dar, sondern legt den Fokus auf den bisher in wissenschaftlichen und fachlichen Debatten marginalisierten Bereich der weiblichen Gewaltausübung. Es soll geklärt werden, warum die von Frauen ausgeübte Gewalt an Kindern entweder gar nicht oder nur in einem sehr geringen Umfang wahrgenommen wird. Die Arbeit setzt sich somit zum Ziel, einen Überblick über das Forschungsfeld mit Zusammenfassungen und Kurzbewertungen zu einzelnen Publikationen herzustellen, der durch die Aufarbeitung und Systematisierung aktueller, aber auch älterer Debatten ermöglicht wird. Dabei ist von Bedeutung, wie umfangreich sich bisher in den Debatten über Gewalt gegen Kinder durch Frauen auseinandergesetzt wurde und wo der jeweilige Schwerpunkt liegt. Anhand eines Untersuchungszeitraums über die vergangenen 35 Jahre soll deutlich gemacht werden, wie sich diese Thematik in den Debatten herausgebildet hat und ob spezifische Entwicklungstendenzen ersichtlich werden. Aufgrund der Interdisziplinarität des Gewaltdiskurses und der noch jungen Forschungslandschaft wird sich auf deutsche sowie internationale Wissenschafts- und Fachliteratur bezogen und beschränkt sich auf Veröffentlichungen im Bereich soziologischer, pädagogischer und psychologischer Disziplinen. Zusammenfassend bietet diese Abschlussarbeit über misshandelnde Mütter mit der Methode des systematischen Literaturüberblicks einerseits eine Einführung in die Thematik von Mutterschaft und Mütterlichkeit sowie eine Einführung in psychische und sexualisierte Gewalt gegen Kinder durch Frauen. Andererseits kann sie als Überblickswerk zu weiblichen Gewaltstrukturen in der Mutter-Kind-Beziehung verstanden werden, da ein breites Spektrum an deutsch- und englischsprachiger Literatur verarbeitet wurde, die systematisch wesentliche Schwerpunkte der Debatten in einem Zeitraum von 1980 bis 2015 in den Fokus der Betrachtung rückt.

The aim of this Thesis is to expound and describe the topic of female criminality. The Thesis is divided in three main parts: the first is focused on description of female criminality through explaining important criminological theories and also through description of the size, dynamic and structure of female criminality in the Czech Republic. The second part of my thesis is concerned with sentenced women in prisons with the focus on specific issues of imprisonment of women. The last part is dedicated to the issue of prevention of females' criminality and also of use of alternative sanctions as solution of woman criminality.

Text in English, abstract in English, Zulu and Afrikaans / Globally there has been a rise in the population of incarcerated women over recent decades. Yet, despite this increase, female offenders only represent about 5% of the total incarcerated population. South Africa is no different – female offenders on average total less than 3% of the incarcerated population in South Africa, one of the ten largest correctional systems in the world. This small representation of women in the correctional system often leads to the interpretation that their pathways to offending and experiences of incarceration are the same as those of male offenders, delegitimising any role that gender may play in offending behaviour. The research topic of this doctoral study aims to investigate whether these women’s symbolic or pragmatic status as mothers motivated their crimes and how this occurrence may argue that the socioeconomic challenges faced by these women play a role in their criminalisation. By utilising a feminist pathways research approach, the unlawful actions of seventeen women incarcerated in the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre is contextualised and reveals conduits to women’s incarceration that primarily involve victimisation and socially constructed “gendered vulnerabilities” that are indissolubly interconnected with poverty and oppression. As seen through their life history narratives, this confluence of factors, coupled with fulfilling the dual roles of provider and caregiver as a mother, contribute to their pathway to offending. Ultimately the research allows for a gender-sensitive analysis of the unique challenges incarcerated women in South Africa face, and the role agency and patriarchy has played in their pathways taken. / Isihloko: Inhlawulo yokuba ngumama – ukuhlolisisa izimo zokuba ngomama okudlula kuzo abantu besifazane baseNingizimu Afrika ababoshiwe njengento ewumzila obaholela ekwephuleni umthetho. Isishayelelo ngokufingqiwe: Emhlabeni jikelele, kulawa mashuminyaka asanda kudlula sandile isibalo sabesifazane ababoshiwe. Yize kunalokho kwenyuka kwesibalo, abesifazane abasuke bephule umthetho bayingxenye ethi ayibe ngama-5% enani selilonke labantu ababoshiwe. NeNingizimu Afrika nayo akwehlukile kuyo, kubantu ababoshiwe lapha eNingizimu Afrika abesifazane balinganiselwa kuma-2.2% kuphela esamba sesisonke sabantu ababoshiwe, kanti futhi iNingizimu Afrika iyingxenye yalezo eziyishumi okuyizona ezinkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni kwezokuqondisa izigwegwe. Lesi sibalo esincane sabesifazane abasezindaweni zokuhlumelelisa izimilo sivamise ukuhunyushwa kuthiwe leyo mizila yempilo ebaholela ekuphuleni umthetho kanye nezimo abadlula kuzona ngenkathi beboshiwe iyefana neyabesilisa abasuke bephule umthetho, ngalokho bese lingashaywa ndiva noma iliphi iqhaza lezobulili kulezo zenzo zokwephula umthetho. Okokuqala, lesi sihloko esihlongoziwe salolu cwaningo lweziqu zobudokotela sihlose ukucacisa ubunjalo bezimpawu zomuntu ngamunye futhi nalezo zinto ezihambelana ngokufanayo kubantu besifazane abasezindaweni zokuhlumelelisa izimilo eNingizimu Afrika. Okwesibili, kuhloswe ukucubungulisisa ukuthi ngabe lesi simo abazithola bekusona njengabantu abangomama akusona yini noma cha esadala ukuthi benze lawo macala, kanye nokuthi ekwenzekeni kwalokho, zizathu zini ezingaba khona zokuthi izinselelo kwezenhlalo nezomnotho ezibhekana nalaba bantu besifazane yizona eziba negalelo lokuthi bazithole sebengene kwizenzo zokwephula umthetho. Ngokusebenzisa indlela yokucwaninga evuna amalungelo nesimo sabesifazane, lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuthi ekugcineni kube nokuziqondisisa izinto ezenzeka kumuntu ngayedwana kanye nakumphakathi, okuyizona zinto ezidala ukuthi laba bantu besifazane bagcine sebeqe inqubo elandelwayo emphakathini. Ngokusebenzisa ingxoxo-mibuzo ecubungula umlando wempilo, ngalokho kubhekisiswa ukungena ezenzweni zokwephula umthetho kwabantu besifazane abayishumi nesikhombisa ababoshwe eSikhungweni Sabesifazane Sokuhlumelelisa Izimilo saseJohannesburg, ngokubheka ubunjalo besimo okwenzeka ngaphansi kwaso lokho kwephulwa komthetho. Lokhu kuveza ithuba lokuhlaziya ngokusebenzisa indlela ebhekela ezobulili mayelana nezinselelo ezingefaniswe nalutho ababhekana nazo abesifazane ababoshiwe eNingizimu Afrika, futhi ngalokho-ke bese kunikwa laba bantu besifazane ulwazi lokuguqula izindlela abasuke sebehamba ngazo. Izindikimba ezingumongo: UMnyango Wezokuhlumelelisa Izimilo, iNingizimu Afrika, owesifazane ophule umthetho, isifundo sezobugebengu eseibhekelela ezobulili, izimo ophile kuzona, imizila eholela ekwephuleni umthetho, ingxoxomibuzo mayelana nomlando ngempilo, isayikholoji, ezobulili, indaba yezinto ezihambelanayo. / Titel: Die straf van moederskap – verkenning van die moederskapervaring van vroue in gevangeskap in Suid-Afrika se ervaring as 'n pad tot midaad Abstrak: Daar was die afgelope dekades wêreldwyd 'n toename in die populasie van vroue in gevangeskap. Ten spyte van die toename, verteenwoordig vroue slegs omtrent 5% van die totale populasie in gevangeskap. Suid-Afrika is in geen opsig anders nie – vroue-oortreders verteenwoordig gemiddeld slegs 2.2% van die populasie in gevangeskap in Suid-Afrika met een van die tien grootste korrektiewe stelsels in die wêreld. Hierdie klein verteenwoordiging van vroue in die korrektiewe stelsel lei dikwels tot die verklaring dat hul pad na oortreding en ervaring van gevangeskap dieselfde as dié van manlike oortreders is, wat enige rol wat gender ook al mag speel ongegrond maak. Die onderwerp van die navorsing wat vir die doktorale studie voorgestel is, is eerstens daarop gemik om die individuele kenmerke en dit wat vroue in gevangeskap in Suid-Afrika se korrektiewe fasiliteite gemeen het, uit te stip. Dit is tweedens daarop gemik om te verken of hierdie vrouens se simboliese of pragmatiese status as moeders hul misdade motiveer het, en hoe daar as gevolg van die voorkoms geredeneer kan word dat die sosioekonomiese uitdagings wat deur die vroue in die gesig gestaar word 'n rol in kriminalisering speel. Deur die feministiese benadering van navorsing te volg, word daar met dié studie daarop gemik om uiteindelik 'n begrip te vorm van individuele en sosiale prosesse wat daartoe lei dat hierdie vroue sosiale norme oortree. Deur lewensgeskiedenisonderhoude te gebruik, word die kriminalisering van die handelinge van 17 vroue in gevangeskap in Johannessburg se korrektiewe sentrum vir vroue gekontektualiseer. Dit bied geleentheid vir 'n gendersentitiewe ontleding van die unieke uitdagings wat vroue in gevangeskap in Suid-Afrika in die gesig staar, en voorsien vroue van die kennis om alternatiewe paaie te volg. Kerntemas: Departmenent van Korrektiewe Dienste, Suid-Afrika, vroueoortreder, feministiese kriminologie, geleefde ervaring, pad na misdaad, lewensgeskiedenisonderhoude, sielkunde, gender, narratief. / Psychology / D. Phil (Psychology)