Women Vs Female Offenders Essay

According to research by Sonja Starr, a professor of law at the University of Michigan, “females are twice as likely to avoid incarceration (Starr 5).” In addition, Starr's research found that of those who are sentenced to incarceration, “men receive sentences that are approximately 34% longer (Starr 5).” The conviction and sentencing disparities between female and male offenders is due to a multitude of reasons which include the perceived notion that women are the primary caregivers of children, gender bias and discrimination on all levels of the justice system, and statistical evidence that suggests females are less dangerous than male offenders. Women are often viewed as the primary caregivers of children; a view that may encourage prosecutors, judges, and juries to reduce or eliminate prison sentences as a mother's absence may be detrimental to their children (Starr 14). Although some research has shown there is little to no difference in sentencing leniency toward women who are married or

Police officers may perceive men as more dangerous and write reports that reflect that sentiment while giving more favorable arrest reports for women. In cases of joint effort between male and female offenders, women may be considered followers rather than intentional perpetrators (Starr 12-14). In addition, judges may consider the dependency females in the aforementioned cases have on male perpetrators (Hofer 128-129). In general, women are perceived to be more cooperative during the legal process and thus may earn some degree of leniency by the prosecutor or judge, though there is little definite evidence to suggest such a correlation (Starr 15). Attitudes of paternalism or chivalry may encourage a male judge to protect a female defendant by granting a lesser sentence or avoiding a prison sentence (Rodriguez