Gender Gap In Crime
The gender gap in crime rate is clearly visible in the fact that the women are generally involved in minor property related crimes (fraud, forgery, larceny and embezzlement) and substance abuse offences (drug influenced deviance), while the men are involved in the white collar crimes (Schwartz and Steffensmeier, 2008). The economic vulnerability and patriarchal power relations in the society are the push factors for increasing involvement of women in less serious crimes (Steffensmeier, 1980; Miller, 1986; Daly, 1989). The main causes of crime among women are lack of education, economic and financial pressure, domestic strife, high rate of divorce and insecurity (Klein, 1973; Henderson, 2001; Davies, 1991; Potter, 1978).
The existing gender
differences and established notion of men being the offenders and women the victim makes the criminal codes more masculine. Imprisonment as a mechanism of social control for resurrecting criminals is a horrific experience for the female offenders, as most of the prisons are constructed as per the male’s needs and requirement. Thus the gender inequality is also deeply inverted in the social control mechanisms and established codes for retaining the social order. Along with some common problems the women prisoners face many other gendered issues during imprisonment, which makes the imprisonment more vulnerable for them. Women prisoners experience direct and indirect forms physical, sexual and emotional abuse and harassment by the male inmates and the prison staffs (Morash et al. 1998; Loucks, 2004). Suicide and self injury are common among the female prisoners because of the pain and grief they face due to the separation from family and children (Potter, 1978). Along with isolation, the women face serious health related problems and they are not given proper medical care (Haney, 2006). The imprisonment becomes turmoil for the women who are the only bread earner of the family (Frost, 2006).
The existing gender
differences and established notion of men being the offenders and women the victim makes the criminal codes more masculine. Imprisonment as a mechanism of social control for resurrecting criminals is a horrific experience for the female offenders, as most of the prisons are constructed as per the male’s needs and requirement. Thus the gender inequality is also deeply inverted in the social control mechanisms and established codes for retaining the social order. Along with some common problems the women prisoners face many other gendered issues during imprisonment, which makes the imprisonment more vulnerable for them. Women prisoners experience direct and indirect forms physical, sexual and emotional abuse and harassment by the male inmates and the prison staffs (Morash et al. 1998; Loucks, 2004). Suicide and self injury are common among the female prisoners because of the pain and grief they face due to the separation from family and children (Potter, 1978). Along with isolation, the women face serious health related problems and they are not given proper medical care (Haney, 2006). The imprisonment becomes turmoil for the women who are the only bread earner of the family (Frost, 2006).