It's a Crime: Women and Justice (2nd Edition)
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
It's a Crime: Women and Justice (third edition) is probably the most comprehensive text with readings on the subject of women and the criminal justice system. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has" (Margaret Mead). Over these many generations, dramatic social and legal changes have been accomplished on behalf of women's equality. Women have made these changes happen. They have not been passive, but rather, have worked together to make changes, to create a better world where there are few constrictions. During the times of the American Revolution when America gained a new democracy, women had yet to gain the freedom they deserved as human beings. There have always been women who have worked throughout history for the betterment of society. At the Seneca Falls Conference in 1848, women gathered together to declare that "we hold these truths to be self evident that all men and women emphasis mine are created equal." In the Declaration of Sentiments, Elizabeth Stanton pointed out that "the history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world." It went into specifics: Married women were legally dead in the eyes of the law. Women were not allowed to vote. Women had to submit to laws when they had no voice in their formation. Married women had no property rights. Husbands had legal power over and responsibility for their wives to the extent that they could imprison or beat them with impunity. Divorce and child custody laws favored men. Women had to pay property taxes although they had no representation in the levying of these taxes. Most occupations were closed to women and when women did gain entry, they were paid only a fraction of what men earned. Women were not allowed to enter professions such as medicine or law. Women had no means to gain an education since no college or university would accept women students. With only a few exceptions, women were not allowed to participate in the affairs of the church. Women were robbed of their self-confidence and self-respect, and were made totally dependent on men. These were strong words. This was the status quo for women in the United States in 1848. In the words of Elizabeth Stanton: "Now in view of this entire disenfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradation in view of the unjust laws . . . and because women feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States." That was then. The movement produced few results. Women did not receive the right to vote until the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution early in the twentieth century. In the words of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: "I think about how much we owe to the women who went before us legions of women, some known but many unknown. I applaud the bravery and resilience of those who helped all of us you and me to be here today" (1998). The potential for progress in the realm of women's issues and the criminal justice system is possible because of the continuous battles that women have continued to fight in striving for something called equality or parity of treatment. The history of women indicates that gender should not be a factor in determining the legal rights of women and men, but it has been. Dating back to 1776, when this country was being formed and the laws were being written by men, it was Abigail Adams, in a letter to her husband, John, who insisted that if in the new American Constitution, "care and attention are not paid to the ladies," they will foment a rebellion. Women have been fomenting that rebellion ever since. The reader will find that the struggle is not over, even though women may have a voice and are being heard. In this work we talk about women as slaves; witchcraft; affirmative action; disparate treatment of women; sexual harassment; crimes of violence; rights of privacy; women, drugs, and AIDS; women in prison; women as victims of crime; women in criminal justice professions; women and crime; and girls and delinquency. The chapters that follow are written primarily by scholars and researchers in the field. This third edition, as the previous two, deals with the most up to-date-issues and policies that pertain to women as they are affected and treated by the criminal justice system as well as those basic rights believed to be most fundamental by all. The material and topics provide the best there is as they concern the gender-based problems we face in society today. In the words of the late Ted Alleman (with whom I worked on the first edition): "Those who see the world entirely from a man's perspective and are simply blind to the existence and influence of women are said to be androcentric in their thinking." Traditional literature ignores the role of women. There are those who will deprecate and/or ignore a woman's point of view entirely. For women, public denigration is not socially acceptable. Personal attacks should be a thing of the past. Today, women and girls live the legacy of women's rights. It is my passionate hope that this work will result in more meaningful and thought-provoking dialogue concerning the important problems women face in the criminal justice system. It's a crime, if we do not realize the importance of the role that women play. Basic human rights are fundamental to all, women and men alike. The raw material is presented in this text hopefully, you will make it come alive. align="right"> Roslyn Muraskin Long Island University
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
The publisher, Prentice-Hall Career & Technology
In this very important, timely edited volume, the authors both experts in the field confront the legal sociological, and psychological perspectives involving women and criminal justice. Sexual crimes, female victims, experiences and societal reactions to sexual violence and issues of privacy are covered. Attention is also paid to women as offenders and professionals in criminal justice.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
It's a Crime: Women and Justice (2nd Edition)
It's a Crime: Women and Justice (2nd Edition),Roslyn Muraskin,Ted Alleman,Prentice Hall,0130113891,Criminology,Female Offenders (Criminology),Female offenders,Gender & the Law,General,Law,Legal Reference / Law Profession,Sociology Of Women,United States,Women criminal justice personnel,Women's Studies - General
English Books:
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