University Essay: The Role of Feminism in Incarcerated Men and Women

This essay explores the intersection of feminism and incarceration, examining the dynamics of privilege, power, and inequality within the criminal justice system. The author analyzes the disparities in incarceration rates between men and women, highlighting how societal norms and gendered expectations influence criminal behavior and treatment. The essay delves into the impact of social constructs, such as discrimination and socialization, on incarcerated populations, considering how these factors contribute to differences in experiences and opportunities. Furthermore, it discusses the role of feminism in challenging traditional criminal theories and advocating for equal justice, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of gender, class, and race in the context of crime and social control. The essay references key studies and statistics to support its arguments, offering insights into the complexities of feminism and its implications for incarcerated individuals.

Running Head: FEMINISM
INCARCERATED MEN AND INCARCERATED WOMEN
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1FEMINISM
Privilege is the special right or advantage entitled to only a particular group of people.
Such advantage is the benefit or right of the person to whom it is entitled as a matter of
immunity. According to Barack, Leighton and Flavin 2010, analysis of the close relationship
between the organizational and societal features relating to the community relations can be
explained as the privilege and its impact on the class, race and gender of the people and
ultimately the psychology driven motive of such people behind the commission of any crime.
Such relations of the community distinguish revenge killings and rampage shootings. The
administration of criminal justice is basically found by the main understandings of inequality,
power and privilege in the United States.
According to Glaze and Bonczar 2007, it can be stated that more than one million women
are incarcerated in prison due to some charges of criminal justice supervision. Sentencing Project
2007 has explained that the number of women being incarcerated has drastically enhanced at
approximately the rate of double ratios since the year of 1985 (California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitations 2010, p 44). The increase in women incarceration can be
indicated by the change in the character and nature of the women feeling oppressed or being
dominated at the hands of the society or the social norms. Violent offenses indicate that the
women have revolted against the tough policies including that of the drug offenses and drug
convictions (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2010).
According to Newman et al., 2004, majority of the homicides, violent deaths and other
adolescent and preadolescent homicides contribute to the number of incarcerated men by the
criminal justice system. However, it has also been noted that these deaths were not particularly
aimed at any particular sex or group of people. It just took its course as per the unfolding of the
events.

2FEMINISM
The treatment of both the sexes as an equal right is the matter of debate and hence, it can
be analysed that the women are more prone to safety issues and hence, do not engage in long
workweeks. In addition, the inmate differential circumstances lead to the men having an uplifted
position than women in the community of incarcerated population. According to Summers 2005,
discrimination and socialization are the two dissents of the inmate differences. Critics have noted
that women tend to not find any role model and retract from the showing interest in the
disciplines of calculations. It has been laid down that women are intellectually less abled than
men and hence, the science and its academic careers are not well professed by them (Summers
2005). Criminal theories recognize similar relations between menm and women stating that
women being too emotional are not able to handle the matters of logical application. This
weakness form a kind of limitation to the policing and positions of the correctional officers.
Thus, it can be concluded that within the criminal system of justice, men outweigh
women in the predominance of offences and victimization. However, theoretrical understandings
do not comply with the modern approach and hence, men lose attention on the grounds of
socialization and masculinity. Though women are less numbered in prisons, but they are the
fastest developing proportion of the inmate numbers. The implications of privilege on feminism
relates to those for the equal justice along with study of crime and social control.

3FEMINISM
REFERENCES:
Barak, G., Leighton, P., & Flavin, J. (2010). Class, race, gender, and crime: The social realities
of justice in America. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Bureau of Justice (2010). Correctional populations in the United States, 2009. Washington, D.C:
U.S. Department of Justice.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. (2010). California Prisoners and
Parolees, 2009. Sacramento, CA: Author
Glaze, L. E., & Bonczar, T.P. (2007). Probation and Parole in the United States, 2006.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
Pasco, L., Chesney-Lind, Meda. () Incarcerated Female: A Growing Population p 51-82
Sentencing Project (2007). Women in the criminal justice system. Washington DC: Author