Juvenile Justice System: A Case Study
One inmate that had been sentenced for her first criminal offense of armed robbery to ten years. She was to serve five in the prison system and the remainder on probation. According to her version of the incident, her boyfriend was the troublemaker and main perpetrator of the crime. Even though he had a serious criminal history and had previously received a life sentence for murder, he only received a sentence of six years of which two years he would serve in prison. He was later paroled after only serving 13 months. (Georgia Commission on Gender Bias in the Judicial System, Atlanta, GA, 1991)
In 2009, Karen Black stabbed and killed her husband, Wayne Clarke. On the day of the killing, Wayne had been repeatedly criticizing Karen and “nagging
her . . . with respect to the prospect of sexual intimacy on the weekend” (Tremblay, 2014). It is reported that later, during an argument which ensued from the nagging, he trailed her into the kitchen, puffing up his chest out and trapping her into a corner. Karen said she grasped a kitchen knife, while Wayne keeps her in the corner continued to verbally berate her. She then stabbed him twice in the chest. Karen then went and to her son, who put Wayne into his car and drove him to the hospital, calling 911 while in-route. Before reaching the hospital Wayne died from the injuries. Meanwhile, Karen went to the police and admitted to the killing of her husband. In transcripts of interviews with police, Karen Black at first told them that she didn’t mean to kill her husband but later claimed that she felt angry and compelled to kill him. Karen Black was charged with murder, but because she had been subjected to ongoing harassment and intimidation, the Crown later accepted her plea of guilty of defensive homicide. This basis was acknowledged with the definition of family violence. (Tyson, Kirkwood, & McKenzie, 2017) In many cases of similar killings, it is shocking to see that many women, plead guilty to manslaughter instead of going to trial. Where if they had gone to trial, many women would stand a greater chance of acquittal due to the abusive nature of the relationship. (Tremblay, 2014)
In many cases, violence against women encumbers women from realizing their full potential. In Iowa alone, a number of women who are the sufferers of violent crimes, predominantly domestic abuse sexual assault, has worsened in the past five years. The crime rate of women in Iowa has risen in the past 15 years. Iowa is also accommodating the highest level of female inmates as well as treating an increasing number of women for drug-related and violent crimes according to The Iowa Correctional Institution for Women is. (Commission on the Status of Women, Des Moines, IA, 1996)
Iowa's fastest growing crime is currently domestic violence. While women and men can be victims of domestic abuse, the largest majority of them are women at 96%. Domestic violence can be defined as “criminal behavior that transcends all social groups, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, and financial status. With children often becoming its indirect victims. Domestic violence is also a pattern of abusive behavior used to control one's partner by means of physical violence or assault, isolation, intimidation, threats, economics, and rape. (Commission on the Status of Women, Des Moines, IA, 1996)
In 2009, Karen Black stabbed and killed her husband, Wayne Clarke. On the day of the killing, Wayne had been repeatedly criticizing Karen and “nagging
her . . . with respect to the prospect of sexual intimacy on the weekend” (Tremblay, 2014). It is reported that later, during an argument which ensued from the nagging, he trailed her into the kitchen, puffing up his chest out and trapping her into a corner. Karen said she grasped a kitchen knife, while Wayne keeps her in the corner continued to verbally berate her. She then stabbed him twice in the chest. Karen then went and to her son, who put Wayne into his car and drove him to the hospital, calling 911 while in-route. Before reaching the hospital Wayne died from the injuries. Meanwhile, Karen went to the police and admitted to the killing of her husband. In transcripts of interviews with police, Karen Black at first told them that she didn’t mean to kill her husband but later claimed that she felt angry and compelled to kill him. Karen Black was charged with murder, but because she had been subjected to ongoing harassment and intimidation, the Crown later accepted her plea of guilty of defensive homicide. This basis was acknowledged with the definition of family violence. (Tyson, Kirkwood, & McKenzie, 2017) In many cases of similar killings, it is shocking to see that many women, plead guilty to manslaughter instead of going to trial. Where if they had gone to trial, many women would stand a greater chance of acquittal due to the abusive nature of the relationship. (Tremblay, 2014)
In many cases, violence against women encumbers women from realizing their full potential. In Iowa alone, a number of women who are the sufferers of violent crimes, predominantly domestic abuse sexual assault, has worsened in the past five years. The crime rate of women in Iowa has risen in the past 15 years. Iowa is also accommodating the highest level of female inmates as well as treating an increasing number of women for drug-related and violent crimes according to The Iowa Correctional Institution for Women is. (Commission on the Status of Women, Des Moines, IA, 1996)
Iowa's fastest growing crime is currently domestic violence. While women and men can be victims of domestic abuse, the largest majority of them are women at 96%. Domestic violence can be defined as “criminal behavior that transcends all social groups, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, and financial status. With children often becoming its indirect victims. Domestic violence is also a pattern of abusive behavior used to control one's partner by means of physical violence or assault, isolation, intimidation, threats, economics, and rape. (Commission on the Status of Women, Des Moines, IA, 1996)